This study explored the role of work in the recovery of employed and unemployed persons with psychiatric disabilities. Fourteen persons with psychiatric disabilities participated in semi-structured interviews. Content analysis revealed that the experience of recovery was based on six major dimensions: self-definition, empowerment, connections to others, meaning of work, vocational future, and meaning of recovery. Differences in these six dimensions led to the identification of three profiles of recovery: recovery as uncertain, recovery as a self-empowering experience, and recovery as a challenging experience. Each profile described a specific context in which participation in work or avoidance of work can be understood and vocational interventions can be designed.