We’re about to roll into Q4.

Know what that means?

It’s game time for your career.

This is the moment to reflect, evaluate, and reset before reviews, raises, and promotions get locked in for the year.

Even if you feel “on track,” the employees who win the most are the ones who finish strong and start next year faster.

So, here’s your 7-step Year-End Playbook to get ahead:

✅ 1. Reflect on your accomplishments.
List the projects, wins, and skills you built this year. Use my FREE Career Achievements Journal to capture outcomes, numbers, and lessons learned. This becomes your evidence file for reviews and negotiations.

✅ 2. Evaluate your professional growth.
What skills have you actually leveled up? Where do you need to improve? Use my FREE Leadership Skill-Building Roadmap to spot the gaps, and if you really want the blueprint, grab The Zebra Code: A Step-By-Step Guide for Mastering Career Skills That Make You a Standout Professional for a full career skills map.

✅ 3. Set goals for next year.
Use your reflections to lock in 2026 goals and targets. Make sure they are aligned with your long-term trajectory, not just your short-term to-do list.

✅ 4. Build your skill development plan.
For each skill you need, define your training path including programs, books, mentors, and practice. If you want step by step instructions, check out my vlog post on how to codify your career plan.

✅ 5. Schedule check-ins.
Do not let this be a once-a-year activity. Put quarterly or even monthly reviews on your calendar now so you stay on track.

✅ 6. Seek feedback.
Engage peers, managers, and mentors to uncover blind spots and validate strengths. Do not wait until the review meeting. It’ll be too late.

✅ 7. Update your resume and LinkedIn.
Even if you’re not job hunting, freshen your profile. Add new wins, skills, and visibility boosts. (I have a FREE Resume Webinar here and as well as LinkedIn vlog posts on 7 Must-Know Tips to Get You Noticed on LinkedIn and LinkedIn Tips for Job Seekers That Attract Recruiters | An Inside Look.)

Take these steps now and you’ll not only close 2025 with a bang, you’ll open 2026 with momentum.

But here is the real opportunity…

This Friday (Sept 19th), I’m teaching the full Employee Year-End Playbook live inside my Leadership Coaching Program.

In this session, I’ll walk you through how to capture your accomplishments, evaluate your growth, and set yourself up for a strong review and faster start to 2026. You’ll also get the workbook and a 4-week challenge to make sure you put it into action.

And that is only the beginning!

As a member, you have access to previous and upcoming lessons that enable you to:

  • Turn your accomplishments into compelling stories that make you promotion ready.
  • Translate skill gaps into a concrete development plan.
  • Build confidence as a communicator so you can lead, influence, and negotiate more effectively.
  • Put systems in place that keep you accountable all year long.

Members also get full access to the leadership library of 80 plus lessons, workbooks, challenges, and bonus training programs covering everything from career acceleration to goal setting.

If you want to become a stronger leader, more confident communicator, and kind of professional who stands out in any review or promotion discussion…

Join the Leadership Coaching Program here!

Hope you enjoyed this digest and also hope to see you Friday!

******************

MORE FREE STUFF!

RESUME TEMPLATE: One that actually gets job interviews! Download here.

RESUME WRITING WEBINAR: My proven formula to write a resume that gets interviews!
INTERVIEWING WEBINAR: Strategies to prove your value, sell yourself, and get hired!
SALARY NEGOTIATION WEBINAR: Get my proven tactics to negotiate like a pro and get paid more!

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WHO IS THIS DUDE?

Andrew LaCivita, a globally-renowned career and leadership coach, is the founder of the milewalk Academy®. During the course of his distinguished career, he has impacted over 350 companies, more than 100,000 individuals, and spanned nearly 200 countries, helping them unlock their full potential. He is an award-winning author who gained international recognition with his groundbreaking books, Interview Intervention: Communication That Gets You Hired, The Hiring Prophecies: Psychology behind Recruiting Successful Employees, and The Zebra Code: A Step-By-Step Guide to Mastering Career Skills That Make You a Standout Professional. These seminal works, along with his celebrated vlog, Tips for Work and Life®, consistently earn top spots on reputable, worldwide lists which rank the best career advice books and blogs. Andrew remains actively engaged across various social media platforms and shares his expertise through his weekly Live Office Hours on YouTube every Thursday.