Business psychologist Douglas LaBier says a transformation is taking place in the American workplace.  He calls it “The Rise of the 4.0 Career,” where people aren’t just looking for more meaning, balance and success in their life and work, they want their work to make a real difference in their community and world.

In a recent Huffington Post article, LaBier describes the different career mindsets that exist, calling them 1.0, 2.0, 3.0…and now 4.0 careers.  Here are excerpts on each – see if you can identify yourself in one of them:

The 1.0 career describes doing whatever kind of work enables you to survive. It’s what people do when they’re in situations of extreme hardship, political upheaval, or within socioeconomic conditions that limit their opportunity and choices. That probably describes the situation for the masses of people throughout most of history. And of course it exists today, especially among those who have been hardest hit by the current recession. In these situations, your criterion for “success” is being able to earn enough of a living to survive — pay your bills and support your family. The conflicts that people experience within the 1.0 career often include the impact of working conditions, discrimination and limited opportunities for getting onto a career path that can lead to something better. [Read more…]