is having a job an important to your sense of self?

It certainly did mine and now that I am not able to work I feel totally useless

In some ways we identify ourselves with our jobs too much. I was a trucker, yet I was and am much more than that. I am also a mother, a bookkeeper, a friend, a researcher, a farmer and a person with wants and needs. Sadly we no longer say this is what I do and this is who I am. I think somewhere along the way we lost who we are and become what we do. Having a sense of purpose is always important to our self esteem, having goals and reaching them also has it's effect. In some ways we are much more complex than we appear on the surface and others much simpler. A stay at home mom has no 'employment' yet her job is the most important one a person can have. An entire generation depends on her. Goals rather than jobs, life rather than an office should be what we see in ourselves.

I feel that I have worked hard to gain a skill (I am a nurse) and hate not being able to use this. Even though I have 3 children and I took time off when they were little, I needed to be with 'big' people after a while and it was good to have the skills to be able to walk into a job even though I had time off. I only work one or two days a week now but still feel I am contributing.

Sure, but it doesn't even have to be a job, just some activity that makes a person feel they are doing something worthwhile. Retired people often get involved in volunteer work or crafts projects to get that feeling of worth and accomplishment. And some European countries that give people longterm unemployment benefits are finding that having people do some kind of work, even if it's only parttime, helps their self esteem and also keeps their workplace skills from getting rusty.

Let me see, I worked since a teen and found it a great way to live, though at times difficult. After marriage and working which was fine too we decided that we would have children and I would stay home so we did that too. Now since the housefire and thankfully the kids older I am working again. This time around I am different and a better employee. I have used working to leave the stress of struggling to regain our lives on this property. Even with re-establishing our lives I will continue to work since it is a balance for me and enables me to have money that I would not normally have! This has been an intersting topic!!

I think this is a great topic and I would assume that most people would answer yes. It gives you purpose and a feeling that you are needed. I haven't been employed for a little over a year now, as I have made the decision to be a stay at home mom. I would consider that to be my job and so I feel as though there is a great deal of purpose in my life. But, if I was just sitting at home all day I don't think that I would have very high self-esteem!

yes it helps me develop my self, personality, and self esteem..

I always work for myself, and it is hard for me to judge, but I guess if someone is looking for job(=income)and cannot find it, may end up with depression and low self-esteem.

It absolutely has a lot to do with your self-worth. If you can't hold down a job to get the basic necessities in life...food, home, etc. it would be very difficult to think you had any self-worth at all. Temporary unemployment or financial setbacks are totally different.

Yes because it defines who you are and what contributions would you like to give in this world.

Yeah!! I think yes!!!