As the year winds down, December offers a natural pause point and a chance to reflect on your career wins, reassess your strengths and set intentional goals for the year ahead. Before the rush of January begins, take a moment to look back at what went well in 2025 and what you want to build toward in 2026.
Start by identifying the accomplishments you are most proud of this year. Think about new skills you developed, challenges you navigated, or relationships you strengthened. Once you capture your wins, take stock of your strengths. A simple personal SWOT analysis can help you understand what you do well, where you can grow and what opportunities might be emerging in your field.
From there, map out a straightforward career development plan for 2026. Consider the roles you would like to explore, the skills you want to sharpen and the experiences you would benefit from gaining. Breaking your plan into quarterly milestones can make it feel more manageable and keep you accountable throughout the year.
If you are preparing for a job search in the new year or simply want to stay ahead of a shifting job market, this webinar is a great place to start: Navigating the Turbulent Job Market. It walks through the critical steps and provides a clear framework to help you approach your search with confidence and strategy.
All alumni who graduated beyond two years, are eligible to meet with York’s Alumni Career Coach for up to two hours of confidential individual career coaching services. Alumni can select the type of 1:1 career coaching appointment based on their needs. Click here to learn more.