Bridgewater, Va.-  On Thursday, Nov. 7, Bridgewater College Chaplain Robbie Miller and Director of Career Services Sherry Talbott led a workshop on future vocations. Both individuals gave insight on what vocation is, what led them to their personal careers, and questions to ask yourself to find your calling.

Miller started the workshop by leading an activity. Miller told the members of the audience to go around and say, “When I grow up, I’m going to be…”

Miller then transitioned into the story of Moses as a way of explaining what a vocation is, and how one finds it.

Moses found his vocation by encountering the burning bush and deciding to look closer and do something as opposed to doing nothing, Miller said. Moses then found assurance that God will be with him during his travels of leading the Hebrews out of Egypt.

“I believe people are too quick to roll out. People spend too much time on the next task, and they do not pay attention to the voices calling out,” stated Miller. Moses found his vocation by looking closer and listening to those around him. He found his calling.

“You choose your career, but sometimes your career chooses you” quoted Talbott. Talbott explains she believes in the same reason for a vocation as Miller, she just looks at it in a different way.

Talbott explains that a job is what you do for others, a career is what you do for yourself, but a vocation is your calling. It is what you enjoy doing, it is what brings you passion, excitement, and joy.

Talbott states “Here at Bridgewater, we don’t prepare people for jobs, we prepare them for careers, and in order to do that we need to consider their vocation.” Talbott says she helps students find careers by listening to what they love doing, what they feel they are called to do, what they are passionate about.

Miller and Talbott both expressed that to find one’s vocation they must ask themselves questions like, “What is the most meaningful part of my job? Do I end the workday feeling emotionally satisfied? Does my job bring me joy?”

Miller and Talbott stated they want people to take away that a vocation is what you are called to do with life. Vocations make the world a better place and to find a calling you need to know what it means to the student. That student needs to grow in order for their calling to become something even bigger.