I was recently conducting an exploratory call with a seasoned Executive and we started to discuss the “4 F’s” that have guided his decision making throughout his career. I loved the 4 F’s approach and feel the breakdown is very relevant information for every professional considering new career options. The F’s are Fit, Finance, Future, and Fun. As most professionals evolve in their career, the order of priority of the 4 F’s change as well. For professionals that are starting off in their career, their top F’s are usually Finance and Future. With time and experience, the priorities of the professional often change and Fit often becomes a major priority for such seasoned Executives. The 4 F’s help simplify priorities when analyzing an opportunity.
Fit – Early on, for most professionals, the Fit is an unknown factor. It’s difficult to access fit until you’ve experienced different environments with positive and negative scenarios. Different environments can include: heavy workloads, a 24/7 work schedule, an unstructured work atmosphere, a too structured work atmosphere, work-life balance, employee centric, strong leadership, no leadership…. These different scenarios in one’s work environment will often define and mold what FIT they seek as they progress with their career. Professionals that are ten plus years into their career, will most likely place a greater emphasis on the FIT factor when considering a new opportunity.
Finance – This is a major deciding factor for most professionals and falls within the 1st to 2nd priorities in evaluating a potential opportunity. As a professional climbs the corporate ladder, the financial expectations grow as well. I do believe the quote “Money does not buy happiness” is a true statement and until a professional takes a job just for money, this concept/truth may not be truly appreciated or understood. Taking a job just for money may backfire if you dislike the job functions or environment. But the reality is, we all work to pay for a lifestyle, therefore finance is a key factor for all professionals and plays a major role.
Future – This should be an important factor for every professional throughout their career. Every job opportunity should be a strategic move to the next step of growth in a professional’s career. We can’t control all factors, however we can make educated decisions to work towards the desired future goal. This goal is different for every professional from new challenges, new industries, higher education and/or a particular job title.
Fun – Who say’s work can’t be fun?! The fun factor can most definitely exist in a job. It takes work experience from a professional to evaluate what they consider to be fun in their day to day job functions and environment. This FUN factor fluctuates in the priorities throughout professionals’ careers decisions. A professional that took a job just for money may choose the FUN factor as their priority to enjoy a job for their next career move. Fun makes a bad day better and can create a long-term fit.
The 4 F’s should be considered and evaluated for every career option to ensure the job opportunity is the right match. As we evolve, the order of priority of the F’s may fluctuate. Nevertheless, these 4 factors, no matter the order of priority, will always be important key factors to consider throughout one’s entire professional career.
