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Many people tie their identity to their occupation.

Work-based identity has benefits but also risks, including identity crisis after career disruption.

Flourishing requires a multi-dimensional identity.

“Remember not to ask anyone what they do,” I instructed my husband as we headed out to a party where we were going to be meeting many new people.

I had just learned that among some segments of Americans, it’s considered rude and irrelevant at social gatherings to ask what they do for a living. Why? Many see their job as merely what they do to put food on the table and a roof over their heads, and it has nothing to do with who they are or their value as a person.

When work becomes identity

I humbly admit that this idea initially blew my mind. For many Americans, we define ourselves first by our occupation: “I’m a professor" (or a physician, an artist, a teacher, an attorney, a nurse, a business owner, a landscaper, an athlete, a stay-at-home parent, etc.).

Clearly, people are drawn to occupations that fit their personality traits, and in turn, their occupational choices shape their personalities, so there is a reciprocal relationship between personality and occupation (Wille & De Fruyt, 2014).

But is it wise to base our identities almost entirely upon our occupations?

Work-based identities can provide a strong sense of purpose (Walsh & Gordon, 2008). Such identities give a sense of uniqueness and yet simultaneously belonging—uniqueness from those outside our profession but belonging with those within it (Knez, 2016). We may enjoy a sense of community among those in the same profession (e.g., healthcare, military, academia, first responders) and feel we are a part of something larger than ourselves (de Sousa Oliveira, 2024).

There are other benefits as well. Those with strong occupation-based identities are highly engaged in their work (Bothma & Root,........

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