1. The Meaning of Work Job and Career
Work has many meanings: it’s a verb and noun
Verb: activities involving perseverance, discipline, usually performed with degree of seriousness and concentration; contrasted with relaxing and playing.
Noun: refers to a particular accomplishment; a work of art, undertaking a task;
Remember: there is a variety of work; it is exchanged for wages and compensation
Work can be a job, occupation, career, trade, labor, vocation or calling
What we do often determines who we are; we come to think about ourselves-- our self-image by our work.
Job and Career
A job is work in which self-identity is independent of the activity; a job is a role hat one steps into and out of as a means for earning money; a job is instrumental, has little meaning

2. The Conventional View of Work
A Career: involves a developing relationship between self and the activity; a career suggests an ongoing activity defined in terms of wider social institutions that establish standards of achievement and advancement; you develop throughout a career; advance to new levels. Pursue prestigious work; careers involve social status and self-esteem in ways that jobs don’t
A Calling: refers to work where one’s identity and activities may be morally inseparable; who you are is determined by what you do; “I am a minister” “I am a musician” these tell us lot about the person and their work.
Why Work
Besides wages and benefits-- why work?
Psychic reasons: feelings of personal satisfaction and self-worth; self-esteem,happiness
Social meaning: you get social status, honor, respect, companionship, we express our social nature through work
The Conventional View of Work
Do some view work as something that needs to be endured; it’s difficult, arduous, it has a negative connotation; avoid it whenever possible and endure it if you must

3. The Human Fulfillment View:
Work is primary activity through which people develop their full potential as human beings; the good life involves flourishing and development of the human potential; diligence, perseverance and concentration improve whatever talents and abilities to which we apply them; our intellectual skills are improved when we focus our attention on completing a task; diligence, perseverance and concentration are character traits; they are virtues that contribute to the improvement of human well-being.
However--not every job contributes to the development of human potential
The human potential model challenges us to ask:
1) What will this work do for me?
2) What kind of person will I become through this work?