There are 5 work weeks left in 2018. Enough time for 2 solid sprints, plus the usual last minute requests, bug fixes, meetings, and 🎄 holiday parties.

But go easy on the egg nog. If you’re unhappy at work, this is also the perfect time to prepare for your 2019 job hunt.

Come January 1st, hiring managers will be chomping at the bit to spend their new budgets. If you wait for them to post job listings, you’ll be competing with the hoi polloi.

☝️ Instead, make a list of companies you want to work with. Then, get on LinkedIn, look up recruiters at each of those companies, and email them a note introducing yourself. Mind share is market share.

Worried about your technical interview skills? Cracking the Coding Interview is 687 pages long. That’s less than 20 pages a day.

☝️ Set aside 3 hours a week to work through a few of the 189 practice problems. They’ll help you build your confidence, prepare you for the most common questions, and give you the tools to everything else.

Meetups thin out towards the end of the year, but online communities stay active.

☝️ Invest some time in a new IRC channel, Slack room, web forum, or open source project. You’ll meet new people outside your network, which will expand your own.

Remember how I told you to Always Be Cataloging? Now it’s time to reap the rewards!

☝️ Pull up your notes, prioritize your accomplishments, and use the SMART goal method to write clear & concise résumé bullets.

Last thing! Summer internship programs usually fill up by April, if not earlier. Get your butt in gear and don’t miss your window.