**Abstract** Despite the increasing accumulation of research on calling, we still have a fragmented understanding of how having a calling influences the behavior of individuals who aim to live it out. Searching for a work that aligns with one’s calling is a mechanism by which individuals find a way to live out their calling. The present study investigated the effects of calling and the moderating effects of self-esteem, optimism, and perseverance on job search intensity and clarity among a sample of unemployed job seekers (N = 315). Calling was found to foster positive job search behaviors. In addition, we observed that the positive effects of calling on job search behaviors were higher when individuals had low-to-average levels of self-esteem, optimism and perseverance. These results suggest that calling works as a protective factor against the negative effects of low self-esteem, optimism, and perseverance in predicting job search behaviors. **METHOD** Data were collected in a sample of unemployed job seekers (N = 315) in a private employment agency in Ferrara, Italy, and in a public employment agency in Padua, Italy, by means of a paper survey. Only unemployed individuals who were actively seeking for a job were invited to participate in the study. The **file source** containing all the variables adopted for the analysis is “dataset_Jobsearch.sav”. The **syntax** to compute the composite score is “JobSearchSyntax.sps”. The **codebook** is reported in "CodebookJobSearch.xlsx". **Notes** 1- Dataset: A file with the .SAV extension is a SPSS data file. The .SAV was created running the .SPS syntax included in the folder. 2- Syntax: A file with the .SPS extension is a SPSS syntax file. A file with the .AMW extension is an AMOS syntax file. 3- Output: A file with the .AMOSOUTPUT extension is a AMOS output file, which contains results of the analyses performed with the .AMW file. .AMOSOUTPUT file can be opened with any browser. At this aim, change file extension to .htm. **ANALYTICAL PROCEDURE** The hypotheses were tested with a Structural Equation Model (SEM) for observed variables using AMOS 20 (Arbuckle, 2006). The baseline model estimated the effects of five independent variables: presence and search for a calling, optimism, perseverance, and state self-esteem, and two dependent variables: job search intensity and job search clarity. We also included the effect of three control variables (age, gender and the type of job search, which was first job or re-employment) on job search intensity and clarity. Gender, age, the type of job search, and the dependent variables were allowed to covary, as well as the two dependent variables. To test the moderation hypothesis we estimated three separate models, which added to the baseline model the interaction terms of optimism, self-esteem, and perseverance with calling presence. Thus, each moderation effect was tested controlling for search for a calling, optimism, perseverance, self-esteem and the control variables. Scores of all independent variables were standardized (with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1) before computing the two-way product terms for testing interactions (Finney, Mitchell, Cronkite, & Moos, 1984).