Thoughts on vocation

Obviously, the necessity and goodness of work beyond question.  My thoughts on vocation are more about the "what" of vocation. It seems that the thought process for most in America travels along the lines of "what job can I do that will make me the most money, doing something I will enjoy?"  Not that there is anything wrong with doing a job that you enjoy and doing it in order to earn enough to support oneself, but my question is "but what job."

It may be that my thoughts are completely off base here, but I cannot help but think that the work that we do, accounting for about 1/4 of our lives, should be something of substance, that actually is good.  One thing that I have seen in the Protestant world is that of the grounds for our actions.  The question seems to be, "Is it sinful?  If not, then it is okay to do."  But is that really the case?  In Eastern Orthodoxy, the question is, "Is this helpful for my sanctification?" Something may be not sinful, but at the same time, it may be a deterrent or detrimental to our spiritual growth.  This is really something that needs to be considered.

What then about our vocation?  If at all possible, why not choose a job that will actually help others or ourselves, or even better, both?  We can get a job building widgets or we could get a job building bombs or a job building reusable water purification systems for third world countries.  

We could get a job building software for the computer gaming field or we could get a job building software for the improvement of farming practices.  I know that for some, if we are already entrenched in a particular vocation and it is not feasible to change, is one thing.  But for those who are just starting out, find a way that you can use your skills, talents and time for the actual good of others.  You know, love your neighbor.