With graduations, layoffs, and shifting priorities all around, many people are asking the same question: What’s next? For some, it’s a first-time job search. For others, it’s a shift in direction. Either way, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the open-ended possibilities – or even knowing where to start.
That’s where a simple framework I call “Chalking the Field” comes in.
The idea comes from pick-up sports—touch football, frisbee, soccer—where you first define the field: what’s in bounds, what’s out. Before the game begins, you clarify the field you’ll play on. The same is true in career transitions: before you dive into your search, take time to define your “field.”
This isn’t about narrowing your vision prematurely—it’s about focusing your energy on what matters most to you, so you can navigate your career transition with clarity and confidence.
How to Chalk Your Next Career Move
Here are four key areas to help you define what’s in (and out) of bounds for your next chapter:
1. Work Style Preferences
What’s your preferred work style?
• Do you thrive in collaborative teams or prefer solo work?
• Do you like structure or fluidity?
• Are you energized by fast-paced environments or steady, methodical progress?
2. Skills You Want to Use
Focus not just on what you can do—but what you want to keep doing.
Examples might include:
• Writing, designing, public speaking
• Teaching, helping others, analyzing data
• Strategic thinking, working with your hands, building things
Just because you’re skilled at something doesn’t mean you need to build your future around it. For some, using new skills in new ways is energizing.
3. Preferred Sectors & Organizations
Consider where you see yourself thriving:
• Private sector, public sector, nonprofits, academia?
• Startups, fast-growing or established organizations?
• What types of missions, values, and cultures resonate with you?
• Are there organizations or industries you want to avoid? That’s valid—rule them out.
4. Work Environment & Format
• Remote, hybrid, in an office, in a lab, or in the field?
• Which geographic locations work for you?
• What kind of work-life rhythm do you need?
Putting It into Practice
Let’s say your goal is to “work with people.” That’s a great start and a noble goal but let’s get more specific:
• Which people? Kids? Artists? Immigrants? Executives?
• Doing what? Teaching, advocating, counseling, providing healthcare, feeding?
• In what role? On the frontline, or in a managerial or support capacity?
• In what setting? Schools, nonprofits, global organizations, hospitals, startups?
• What’s your why? Why do you want to do this work?
The more detail you can surface, the more targeted and meaningful your search will become.
Additional Reflection Prompts
• Work with whom? What qualities do you value in teammates or bosses?
• Skills vs. enjoyment. Are you using skills and talents that you like using in your work versus in your personal life?
• Past role review. What elements would you like to bring forward—or conversely leave behind?
• Constraints. Consider your life factors (family, finances, health) matter. Name them early.
In Summary
Chalking the Field is a simple but powerful way to define your next career move with purpose. When you know what’s in and out of bounds, you free yourself to pursue roles that are truly aligned—with your values, your strengths, and your life.
If you’re navigating a career shift and want help applying this framework, feel free to reach out: angelo@iospark.biz.
