Q1 of 2026 is rapidly approaching, and so is the wave of hiring that comes with it. Because so many firms do most of their hiring in the first quarter, the final few months of the year are always a good time to assess your career and determine whether it’s time to make a change.
Start by asking yourself some questions to assess your trajectory in key areas of your career growth and potential.
First and foremost, are you still learning in your current role? If so, are you learning at a pace that will help you continue to progress in your career? Do you see opportunities for further learning and growth in the near and medium term? Skill progression is a vital component of career advancement. If you’re honing recently developed skills, consider whether those skills have been recognized with increased responsibility. Does the new responsibility make you a stronger professional or is it a time killer? It’s important to be able to show continued growth in a role over time. If you aren’t learning new skills or expanding the scope of your responsibility, it’s probably time for a change.
Then, there’s compensation. Is it commensurate with your new skills and does it reflect your performance? Is your compensation in the top half of market norms and if not, is there a mitigating circumstance that makes up for it? Do you expect your pay to increase in the near term? We never recommend leaving a job solely for compensation, but it’s an important consideration. Also remember that when you interview, you should communicate your future expectations for compensation. You are not required to share your current compensation with potential employers.
Next, consider the pace of promotions. How long has it been since your last promotion, and has there been any sign of an upcoming promotion? Are others being promoted ahead of you? If you’ve been in the same role for more than two years, especially if others who joined after you have been promoted, you may want to consider new opportunities.
You should also evaluate the relationships you have with your coworkers, and with your manager especially. Do you enjoy working with your colleagues, and do your work-styles sync? Is your manager professional or abusive? Think about whether the team dynamic is working for you and if it feels like a long-term culture fit. Some teams are more collaborative, while others have sharp elbows. Sharp elbows work for some people.
Also think about how you are positioned on the team. Do you get the best assignments, or do those go to someone else? Are you recognized for good work, and do you receive constructive feedback when you make a mistake? We’ve seen candidates whose managers enabled them to achieve incredible growth in a short time by providing them with the best opportunities and excellent coaching. We’ve also seen the opposite. If you aren’t getting bites at the apple, and you are not being set up for success, it’s time to make a change.
Prepare for Q1 Hiring
Then, there’s longer-term financial and philosophical alignment. Can you see yourself working at your current firm in another 5-10 years? Do you admire senior leadership, and can you see yourself in their shoes down the road? Maybe you’ve been told that there is a
long-term career path for you at your firm. If you plan to have a family, will they be supportive? Are you aligned with the strategy and vision and believe in your firm’s future financial success? If you are not fully bought in to the way things are done and with strategic plans, then it’s time to consider other opportunities.
Once you have evaluated these questions, think about whether it makes sense to look at potential new roles. Even if everything is positive, while you may choose not to actively pursue a new role, it’s likely a good time to entertain inbound inquiries. You are at your most marketable when you are happy and doing well in your current role.
If any of these questions have raised any doubts, consider proactively pursuing a new position. Staying in a stagnant position can damage your long-term ability to advance and it can make it more difficult to get other roles in the future. It will limit your toolbox, and it will make it difficult to tell other employers why you stayed so long in the role. It makes sense to proactively pursue a new position.
Ultimately, think about whether you value the work you’re doing. Regardless of whether you are going to proactively look for a new job or keep yourself open to inbound opportunities, this is the time to prepare yourself for the Q1 hiring process, which I’ll discuss in my next post.
