Before You Log Off for 2025…Do This for Your Career
The 2026 Career Prep Guide Future-You Is Glad You Read TODAY.
If you’re anything like me, December hits and suddenly you’re thinking in two timelines at once:
Wrapping the year you just survived
And preparing to make next year even better
And if you’re a mid-career professional — especially in tech — this season matters more than people think.
Here’s the reality most job seekers don’t know:
Q4 is when many companies quietly finalize headcount plans, restructure team…and yes, sometimes do layoffs before the holidays.
So if you want to set future-you up for major 2026 career success, make the most of December and do these 3 things before January 1st.
(psssst, keep reading for how to leverage one of my favorite tools for strategic networking!)
1️⃣ Consolidate Your 2025 Wins
(before you forget them)
Let’s start with a fun one — what can you brag about achieving in 2025? Go through everything you’ve got from this year —
Project outcomes 📊
Notes from one-on-ones with your manager or leadership 📝
Performance reviews 🌟
Any piece of praise you can find (Slack messages included!) 🙌🏽
And extract any and all performance stats, impact metrics, testimonials, and wins you want to bring with you into 2026.
Oh! And here’s a tip from my side of the recruiting table, as a layoff survivor — save them somewhere outside your company systems. No proprietary data — just your contributions. Corporations are becoming more and more comfortable with Q4, pre-holiday layoffs, so make sure you’re tracking your impacts in somewhere that won’t disappear under their jurisdiction.
⭐ Why this matters: Most people only remember 40–60% of what they accomplished in a year. And whether it’s a new opportunity that pops up for you, you decide to start looking elsewhere, or a layoff happens suddenly, people often panic because they don’t have their receipts.
So yeah — go gather them while they’re still fresh
This is also a great moment to quietly warm up a few connections:
“Hey! Doing my end-of-year recap — wanted to say I really appreciated working with you on X project.”
Keep reading for how to leverage one of my favorite tools for strategic networking!) It’s a subtle low-lift that keeps your network warm and puts you top-of-mind for them.
2️⃣ Give Your LinkedIn + Resume a Clean Refresh
You’ll thank me later, I PROMISE. If there’s one thing I hear from clients when we first start working together, it’s:
“I haven’t updated my resume in years.”
So a brief, EOY refresh will save a lot of headache for future you…and we love that.
Think of it as self-care—not a major overhaul where you burn everything down…just a thoughtful audit.
Start by asking yourself:
❓Does my LinkedIn clearly show what I want next?
❓Is my resume aligned with the roles I'd pursue tomorrow?
❓Have I updated both with my 2025 accomplishments?
❓Is my headline optimized for recruiter search, not just clever wording?
❓Is my network full of people who can help me get where I’m going—or just coworkers from three jobs ago?
❓Do I have enough relevant connections (500+ is a good minimum) to even appear in the searches I want to be found in?
This is one of the easiest ways to future-proof your career. Because when opportunities show up fast—which they’ve been known to do in January—the LAST thing you want to have to say is:
“Hold that thought [dream job], LET ME UPDATE MY RESUME FROM 5 YEARS AGO.”
Once your LinkedIn is refreshed, take 5 minutes and re-engage 2–3 old colleagues. Comment on a post, send a holiday note, respond to one of their updates—easy peasy.
Gentle touchpoints like that go a long way in Q4 ➡️ Q1 momentum building.
And speaking of momentum…
3️⃣ Re-Engage Your Network + Build Your Job Visibility Strategy for 2026
This is where a lot of people lose steam—but it’s SUCH a hack in your job search strategy.
Instead of hitting “Easy Apply” and sending up a prayer to the LinkedIn gods, let’s try getting you in front of the right people.
That means, if you want a job search that doesn’t feel like wandering around blindfolded, ear-muffed, in a room you’ve never been in…you need to get some clarity on a few things:
❓Which companies already have warm connections to you?
❓Who can refer you to fast track your candidacy?
❓What hidden roles are you actually perfect for?
❓Where does your network overlap with real-life job opportunities?
Normally, this takes HOURS of manual digging. But luckily, in the year of our Lord, 2025…you don’t have to do that.
There’s this tool called an Introly Report, and I’m a HUGE fan. It removes all the guesswork and manual labor, and hands you a personalized map of your job search.
Instead of spending 6–10 hours digging through LinkedIn manually, Introly scans your network for you and gives you:
✨ A list of open roles at companies where you already have connections
✨ Names + titles of people you can reach out to (warm intros = higher response rate)
✨ Clear starting point for referrals
✨ Customized report you can use immediately
It’s warm(er) outreach, with a little less manual labor. And strategic networking, with a little less guesswork.
PLUS: Every report now comes with a free 30-minute coaching session, which is wild because that alone is SO worth it.
And because it’s the end of the year, you can get 20% off all Introly reports through Dec. 31 using codes:
HOLIDAYREFRESH (for all LinkedIn + Resume packages)
HOLIDAY20 (all roles/client packages)
Your 2026 job search doesn’t have to feel chaotic. Sometimes the smartest move you can make…is making your network work for you.
👉🏽 P.S. Want more insights like this from my side of the table? Check out my TikTok or book a FREE Clarity Call with me.
