Does vocation always guide the choice of profession?

Having dreams, we've all had them during our early childhood. Some wanted to be airplane pilots, teachers, astronauts and so on. Some end up becoming what they've always wanted. Others, however, get caught up in reality. If finding one's path can give meaning to life, it's not always easy in a fast-changing society driven by the job market.

"Finding one's way" or "having a vocation" are expressions we hear very often, but without dwelling on their real meaning. There are several definitions of vocation. The first is linked to a divine call. The second is more in line with the idea of a profession. It's an inclination, a penchant or a preference of some kind. A third meaning alludes to a privileged or natural destination for someone, due to his or her characteristics. Finally, for the philosopher Aristotle, vocation is found "where your talents and the needs of the world meet".

In this article, then, we engage with cases that make vocational vocation disappear under the traps.

The lure of gain

Exercising a profession that highlights our talent is very fulfilling; earning a good living and benefiting from social recognition due to the status we occupy in society is quite another matter. Indeed, in a world where materialism has taken over, the amassing of material goods has become the golden rule. The expansion of inflation could also be seen as one of the causes of this new state of affairs. From this perspective, people don't always go into business because they're good at it. Nowadays, many people are more inclined towards jobs that pay well. From this point onwards, there's a distinction between the trade of passion and the trade of reason.

Making a choice between the two options is not always easy, but it all depends on one's aspirations and, what's more, one's reality. Even if most of the time, the latter outweighs the dream. So, the French are divided between the job of passion and the job of reason. 56% of French people believe that work is a necessary constraint to meet their needs, while 44% see it above all as a means to fulfill their lives. These figures, taken from the March 2022 IFOP (French Institute of Public Opinion) survey, reveal that the majority of workers think first and foremost of satisfying their material needs. So, when looking for a job, reason takes precedence over passion. And yet, passion is one of the feelings that gives rhythm to the world, breathing into it something new and pleasant. But everything seems to work as if this engine of the world has packed up.

Pursuing a trade to survive

When you have a talent for a trade but ultimately can't pursue it for any number of reasons, you let the wind guide you. We seize the slightest opportunity that presents itself, regardless of whether it's predestined for us or not. The most important thing here is to have an occupation. This attitude is very often observed among some young people in Cameroon, who sometimes, because of the socio-economic context marked by poverty, end up no longer dreaming and no longer being guided by passion. Childhood dreams become mere memories. You have to survive, "stay on your feet", "get by", "work at all costs" (Ela, 1998).

Young people find themselves engaged in palliative activities. This is the case, for example, of "benskine " or mototaxi, which is an activity that has evolved in the informal sector in response to the question of survival. According to a study conducted by Yves Bertrand Djouda Feudjio, young people say they have had no other opportunities. That's why they turned to this trade. As one respondent put it: "I'm in this business because I had no other choice. If I could find something else, I had to leave the motorcycle cab".

This statement demonstrates that young people are rushing into this activity because they are in some way forced to do so. It's by no means because they have any passion or talent that they end up in this line of work. The socio-economic context takes precedence over vocation; a word that is conspicuous by its absence in people's minds when it comes to choosing a profession, since the most important thing here is to survive.

As we can see, talent is no longer a criterion that is taken into account when choosing a profession, as social constraints quickly bring the individual back to reality. While it's true that it's more fun to do what you're good at, leading to self-fulfilment and even finding your place in society, the fact remains that you can still give meaning to your life with a meaningful profession. It's up to each individual to find his or her own way to a certain level of fulfillment. After all, if your profession is useful to society, perhaps that's where you should find an ounce of satisfaction!

REFERENCES

CHEVANDIER Christian, 2009, "Vocation professionnelle: un concept efficient pour le XXe siècle?" online https://journals.openedition.org/abpo/499

DJOUDA F. Yves Bertrand, 2014, "les jeunes benskineurs au Cameroun : entre stratégie de survie et violence de l'Etat", Autrepart, Vol 3, No 71, pp 97- 117, online https://www.cairn.info/revue-autrepart-2014-3-page-97.htm

ROY Marie, 2022, "Je n'ai pas choisi un métier passion, et alors?", Les Echos, online https://start.lesechos.fr/travailler-mieux/metiers-reconversion/je-nai-pas-choisi-un-metier-passion-et-alors-1789183