The Calling and Career Podcast

Tables instead of Ladders

Many of our current seniors are in the throes of the job search...figuring out what to do next. For many of our graduates this means an “entry-level” job. What does entry-level mean other than most expendable? From the very beginning we are taught in subtle and not-so-subtle ways that work is about ascension. We’re only in our job for a matter of days before we’re thinking about how to advance beyond our place. We refer to jobs as: stepping stones, hurdles that we have to clear, or, perhaps the most commonly used term: the ladder What if we adopted a different image for our understanding of work? In this episode, Jeff and Kacy talk about making the shift in our mindset to see work as a place to build tables instead of ladders.

Calling: What it is and What it is not

In a piece called “Workism is Making American’s Miserable” by Derek Thompson, Thompson introduces the idea of Workism as the belief that work is not only necessary to economic production, but also the centerpiece of one’s identity and life’s purpose; and the belief that any policy to promote human welfare must always encourage more work. In this episode, Jeff and Kacy talk about the allure of workism and suggest an alternative in a more broader understanding of vocation. They offer some practical ideas for resisting workism and embracing a view of work that is less about what we make and more about what it makes of us.