Wherever possible, students should spend a minimum of five years trying to hold down a job and even progress in a career before studying for the ministry. I know there are exceptions to this rule, but they are very rare. It would root out a lot of doomed candidates and it would tell us a huge amount about whether they have the EQ [“emotional intelligence”] for the ministry. As a bonus, the work experience would also be worth any number of seminary classes in terms of preparation for the ministry. I have to admit, though, every time a young man has told me that he’s called to the ministry and I’ve recommended that he go away and work for five years before Seminary, not one has taken my advice. Thus far, the results speak for themselves (David Murray, The Christian Ministry, Loc. 360).