"VOCATION MEANS CALLING"

We are created for joy. I believe this. But I also know that joy, like hope, needs to be cultivated and received, which is a struggle through and through in a world filled with so much sadness. ...One strategy ... to resist evil, grief, and suffering and to cultivate joy is through the practice of our vocations. The word vocation means calling, and Lutherans like myself grow up believing everyone has one. Luther in the sixteenth century stretched the term out, applying it not just to priests but to everyone -- from moms to shoemakers to streetcleaners. In the twentieth century, Friederick Buechner wrote the much-beloved definition, that your vocation is "the place God calls you, the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."
Taken from "Outlaw Christian" by Jacqueline A. Bussie, Thomas Nelson, 2016. Bussie is director of the Forum on Faith and Life and associate professor of religion at Concordia College, Moorhead, MN.     
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cure_for_the_common_life.pdf
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For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare, not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Download the above file to find a synopsis of Max Lucado's book, Cure for the Common Life, which gives us excellent questions to consider as we ponder and pray about changes to our vocations throughout our lifetimes. According to a press release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on March 31, 2016, the average number of job changes for people between the ages of 18-48 was 11.7. With each change and opportunity, whether chosen or not, God will lead and guide us into a deeper walk with Him and to work that suits the gifts He has given us in order to fulfill His will and purpose in our lives.     

​​                                                                                    Spiritual Gifts Assessment Tool ELCA Website
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Job seekers can use this occupational database provided by the US Department of Labor to accomplish the following:  
  • Identify which jobs match interests, skills, and experience
  • Explore career growth profiles using the latest labor market data
  • Research requirements for a “dream” job
  • Maximize earning potential and job satisfaction
  • Know what it takes to be successful in a chosen field and related occupations
​​Just click on the logo to the right to explore.
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Take a free Holland Interest Inventory by clicking on the RIASEC diagram.
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ONE STOP CAREER RESOURCE Click icon in order to explore how to write an excellent resume, cover letter and reference sheets!
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Great resource for technical assistance on the "how to's" of writing job search documents. Click to check it out!
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Check out Richard Bolles' books and his JobHunter'sBible website to discover the most effective job search strategies for a tough job market.

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Watch this instructional YouTube video.

FINDING THE BEST MATCH IN AN EMPLOYER
After identifying the God given gifts that you bring to the employer table, research companies/organizations that match who God created you to be, i.e., find an employer that matches your values, mission, goals and needs the skills God has given you. This can be accomplished by using LinkedIn, as well as Glassdoor:

Richard Bolles recommends looking at the employers who are within the travel range you are willing to drive to see which ones match; here are some company lists that can help you identify what company and where you might desire to work:

Often employers with an international scope provide more job security due to diverse markets; check out the companies that are international in scope at this web link button: 

Even though the article below was written for US News & World Report in 2011, the main points still fit job seekers in the current job market!

                 
                           Please send any resources that you'd like to see added to this site to Doris Haugen at dabhaugen@comcast.net, so this page can continue to be developed!