Answered & Abandoned: Approaches to Post-Calling Work

​​​

Teacher shortages have reached unprecedented levels, with a growing number of teachers leaving the profession, many of whom once viewed their work as a calling.  Despite the growing prevalence of this issue, research has largely overlooked abandoned callings—or callings after they are intentionally left.  Existing literature primarily focuses on how individuals find, enter, or maintain a calling, often assuming that once a calling is established, it persists over time.  However, recent perspectives suggest that callings may evolve, become more negative, or even untenable, leading some individuals to leave them.  Building on a dynamic, process-oriented view of callings, I examine how leaving a calling can have a profound impact on post-calling work.  Using an inductive, qualitative approach and grounded theory methodology, this study aims to build theory addressing how individuals approach post-calling work.  This study contributes to the evolving understanding of callings, moving beyond leaving callings to focus on the implications for post-calling work.  The implications of this study hold practical value for public policy, organizations, and managers in developing policies to support employees through career transitions, helping them address the emotional, cognitive, and identity-related challenges that arise as they move away from their callings and navigate what comes next, and addressing broader implications for mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.