New Year’s resolutions for careers rarely work. They’re too vague. “Get a better job” or “advance my career” sounds good on January 1 but dissolves by February without a specific plan.

What does work is a structured career audit. A systematic review of where you are, where you want to go, and what specific actions will get you there. Here’s the checklist I use with the professionals I coach.

Part 1: Review Your Current Position

Before planning forward, take stock of where you are.

Your satisfaction score. Rate your current role on a scale of 1-10 across these dimensions:

• Day-to-day work satisfaction
• Compensation and benefits
• Growth and learning opportunities
• Work-life balance
• Team and company culture
• Alignment with long-term goals

If you’re scoring below 5 on three or more dimensions, it’s time for a change. Below 5 on one or two? Those are improvement areas to address.

Your market value. Search for comparable roles on Seek, LinkedIn, and Indeed. What are they paying? What skills do they require? Are you above, below, or in line with market rate?

Your skill currency. Are your skills current and in demand? Or are you relying on experience with tools and methods that are becoming outdated? Be honest here.

Part 2: Portfolio Audit

Pull up your digital portfolio (or acknowledge that you need to build one).

Freshness check. Is your most recent portfolio piece from the last six months? If not, you’ve got work to do.

Relevance check. Does your portfolio reflect where you want to go, or only where you’ve been? If you’re targeting a different type of role, your portfolio should include relevant examples.

Quality check. Read through your case studies and descriptions. Are they specific? Do they include metrics? Would a stranger understand the value of your work?

Technical check. Visit your portfolio site on both desktop and mobile. Test every link. Fix any broken images or formatting issues. Load time matters, if your portfolio is slow, visitors will bounce.

LinkedIn alignment. Does your LinkedIn profile tell the same story as your portfolio? They should complement each other, not contradict.

Part 3: Network Audit

Your professional network is a career asset. Treat it like one.

Active connections. How many people in your network would respond if you messaged them today? That’s your real network size.

Industry coverage. Do you know people in the companies and industries you’re targeting? If not, identify five to ten people to connect with in January.

Reciprocity. Have you provided value to your network recently? Shared useful content, made introductions, or offered help? Networking is a two-way street.

Mentors and advisors. Do you have anyone you can call for career advice? If not, seeking out a mentor is one of the highest-value career moves you can make.

Part 4: Skills Gap Analysis

Take the job listings for your target roles and list the skills mentioned most frequently. Compare them with your current skills.

Strengths. Which required skills do you already have strong evidence for?

Growth areas. Which skills do you have but need to strengthen?

Gaps. Which skills are you missing entirely?

For each gap, identify one specific action:

• An online course to complete
• A project to undertake
• A certification to pursue
• A book or resource to study

Part 5: Set Quarterly Goals

Annual goals are too distant. Break your career plan into quarterly milestones.

Q1 2026 (January-March):

• Update your portfolio with recent work
• Complete one skill development activity
• Make five new meaningful professional connections
• Apply for or explore two opportunities

Q2 2026 (April-June):

• Review and adjust based on Q1 results
• Add new portfolio pieces from Q1 projects
• Deepen relationships with Q1 connections
• Reassess your market value

Q3 and Q4: Plan these in more detail once you have Q1 results to learn from.

Part 6: The One-Page Career Plan

Distil everything above into a single page:

• Where I am now (current role, satisfaction, market position)
• Where I want to be in 12 months (target role, company type, compensation)
• My three biggest gaps (skills, experience, or connections)
• My Q1 actions (specific, measurable, time-bound)

Print it. Put it somewhere you’ll see it weekly. Review it monthly.

Start Today

Don’t wait for January 1. The best time to start a career audit is right now, when you have the mental space to think clearly about what you want from your professional life.

The professionals who make real career progress are the ones who plan deliberately and act consistently. Be one of them this year.