“It’s Not Just a Job”

Abstract

This article explores the impact of the World Trade Center disaster on the meanings that people attach to their work. In the wake of the attacks, several examples of people changing occupations appeared in the media. An analysis of people’s need for increased meaning in their work, and their exodus into work that they view as a calling, is given. It appears that for many, the disaster served to focus attention on what their work was contributing to the wider world. As a result, thousands of people in the United States have decided to pursue different careers.