What is Vocation?

At St. Olaf, vocation is who you are called to be and what you are called to do across all the parts of your life – not only in professional work, but also in your family and friendships, community engagements, relationship with the earth, search for meaning, and pursuit of justice. It’s living your life on purpose, directed toward both your personal flourishing and the common good. Learn more –>

Vocation is…

More than a career choice. Vocation, in its broadest sense, encompasses every role that a person has in his or her life. Your vocation is created by the roles you play and the actions you take, which can range from a job to family life, or from being active in a community to taking time for yourself.

Something that arises from within. Look at the decisions you’ve made and the paths you’ve gravitated toward. Why have you done so, and what kinds of truths and values arise from these choices? Author Parker J. Palmer says “the deepest vocational question is not ‘What ought I to do with my life?’ It is the more elemental and demanding ‘Who am I? What is my nature?’”

Often discussed in terms of religion or spirituality. Many people – Lutherans included – see vocation as God’s call to engage in service and community, though this definition can vary widely even within one faith tradition. Others see vocation as a spiritual grounding. Whether spiritual or completely secular, vocation often involves the nurturing of the contemplative self.

Discernment that involves attentiveness and listening. People writing about vocation almost always speak of a “call,” but this call can be wide in scope. A call could be a set of circumstances that arise, a gut feeling, or recognition of your limits and abilities. A sense of open-mindedness to what constitutes a call is necessary to discern it.

All created equal and rooted in community. Every role, every job, every person, is created equal in terms of his or her vocation, and each role has equal spiritual and/or vocational value. It takes a variety of people, rooted in their callings and open to sharing them with others, to create a vibrant community.

Where “your deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.” This famous definition, coined by Frederick Buechner, can shape the way we think about vocation. As author and minister Howard Thurman said, “ask what makes you come alive and go do that…what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Self-Assessment resources can guide you in your vocational discovery process.

St. Olaf strives for an expansive understanding of vocation that links it to the process of meaning making. The concept has a long tradition within Christianity and within Lutheranism in particular. As a college rooted in Lutheran tradition, St. Olaf appreciates Martin Luther’s view of vocation as a calling from God that includes our relationships and responsibilities in all dimensions of life. At the same time, we invite reflection by all on core values, on the communities of which you are a part, and worldviews that shape your living and how you will use your skills and talents as a reflection of who you are called to be.

Vocational discernment includes reflection on questions of identity and purpose as well as on relationships and responsibilities to family, friends, the communities of which we are a part, and beyond. St. Olaf’s Lutheran identity lifts up love of neighbor as a core vocational value and encourages us to ask, “To what and to whom are we responsible?”

Theologian and writer Frederick Buechner has said that vocation is where our “deep gladness meets the world’s deep need,” a view that invites reflection about choosing paths where gladness meets the needs of others. Sometimes, though, the deep sadness we do not choose can direct and shape how we meet the world’s deep need.

Vocational discernment is a life-long process. We are constantly assessing who we are today and who we might be tomorrow. In high school, you engaged in vocational reflection regarding college. In college, vocational reflection involves choosing a major, possibly studying abroad, figuring out what it means to be a good friend, learning more about what service and activism is important to you, discovering what extracurricular activities bring you joy, learning about how internships and employment help you better understand your skills and abilities, and practicing clarifying and living out your core commitments in and beyond college. Vocation is an ongoing journey in the entirety of our life and identity (e.g. family, community engagement, where we live, and more).