Micro to macro: that’s how most people view new opportunities and potential career changes. Most people start by asking “What’s the job description?” or “What does it pay?” Do you know how short sighted those questions are? When’s the last time you met someone that was at one company for their entire 40 year career? Job hopping has become the norm, but if you shift your perspective you can land an opportunity that feels less like work, is able to become an actual career, and pays more.

MACRO TO MICRO

We’ve learned from watching the 10s of thousands of people we’ve met and helped over the last 15 years that a bottom-up, micro approach to your career is almost guaranteed to miss the mark. Instead switch and use a top-down, macro to micro approach.

INDUSTRY: what they actually do or make

If you start your thought process here everything else seems to make sense. The day-to-day details of a job are rarely what motivates people to stick with it. It’s the passion you have for the industry, or what the group actually does, that keeps people motivated. Ask yourself, “what do I Google or love to learn about?” and pursue companies in those industries. Or “what do I hate and can’t stand?” and stay away from anything in those worlds. Because life’s too short!

If you say, “I don’t really know what I like or don’t like,” well, now’s as good a time as any to actually do some research and start caring about your career and professional life. Let’s make one thing very clear: NO ONE will care about your career more than you do. If you don’t put the time and effort in to finding out what you love, don’t expect your boss or company to do it for you.

If you’re able to at least narrow things down and pursue opportunities within certain industries you’ll be ahead of the game. When you work for a company that fascinates you, it doesn’t feel like work. You’ll do the extra work needed to master your craft, and you’ll actually enjoy talking about what you do.

EVERYONE ISN’T A FIT EVERYWHERE. FIND WHERE YOU FIT.

PEOPLE: everything starts at the top

Once you’ve found some interests, it’s time to talk people. You’re going to have to spend 8–20 hours a day with these people for the foreseeable future so you better be able to stand them.

People often feel a little lost on this one. How can you tell if a company is a good fit? Start with the leadership: look at the leaders in the firm or department. Do you want their lives? Not just their jobs, but their lives. Because that’s where you’re headed, whether you like it or not. If the CFO is on his or her third marriage, has dark circles under their eyes and a Starbucks cup as a constant companion, you can pretty much put “work/life balance” out of your mind no matter what corporate-speak they’re trying to sell you. Trust us: no matter what HR says, whatever the CFO does will trickle down, good, bad or indifferent. So dig into more than what you’re being told. How do they really treat their people? Are they people you’d want to have an adult beverage with and talk business? Would you be proud to learn from them and be a part of their team? Don’t fall into the trap of accepting a job just to have one without truly answering these questions.

PEOPLE MATTER. TRUST US OR LEARN THE HARD WAY.

POSITION: now let’s talk details

Now that you’ve found an awesome company with cool people, does it really matter what your job description says? Or your first title, for that matter?

Think of it this way: if the CFO of a company you really care about stops by your office and asks you to do something, are you going to say “well I would, but it’s not in my job description?” NO, you’re not. You’re going to say, “I’m on it!” and make it happen. You’re going to WANT to do it because you really do want to understand the big picture and how the business works. You’re going to WANT to do it because you really respect your leaders and want to soak up as much knowledge and wisdom as you possibly can from them.

And if you love what you do, you’re going to put in the work and mental effort to dominate. You do this and you’ll have more money, success, accolades, and fulfillment than you’ll know what to do with!

When you can’t wait to get into the office to learn and dominate as much as possible, you won’t want to job hop. You’re in it for the long haul. So they can call you whatever they want at first — you’re on your way to the top!

DETAILS DON’T MATTER NEAR AS MUCH WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE WORKS SO WELL

This article is cross-posted on the Embark Blog. Follow us there to get new insights on business, accounting, and life!