How to Create a 90-Day Plan in Your New Job

Starting a new job is both exciting and nerve-wracking. It’s also an opportunity to take on new challenges, learn new skills, and meet new like-minded professionals. However, new jobs are also often overwhelming and come with new expectations, processes, and colleagues. This is where a 90-day plan can come in handy. 

In this article, we will outline how to create a solid 90-day plan that will help you transition into your new job. 

Why New Jobs Need a 90-Day Plan 

Creating a 90-day plan helps you to outline your goals, keep your priorities straight, and outline your key tasks for the first three months. It enables you to integrate into your new role more smoothly and sets you up for success. Starting a new job is an introductory and transition period for you and your new employer. 

It’s essential that you get to know each other and how you will help the organization grow while learning about what the organization expects of you. Learning and making yourself known will inevitably create a smoother transition and happier career in your new workplace. 

How to Prepare For a New Job: The 90-Day Plan 

Preparing and setting yourself up for success is imperative when starting a new job. When figuring out how to prepare for a new job, don’t worry about the first six months, the first year, or the first five years. Instead, focus on the first 90 days. 

There are six steps to creating and implementing a solid 90-day plan for your new job. 

Do Your Research 

One of the most crucial steps in starting a new job is conducting thorough research on your new company and role. First, ensure you clearly understand the company’s mission, values, and culture. While you will learn some of this information from the company during onboarding, you can also prepare and educate yourself beforehand. You can find a lot of this information on the company’s website, social media platforms, and even on their online reviews. 

In addition to learning about the company itself, you should also research and educate yourself on the role and responsibilities of your new position. Review your job description and prepare a list of any questions you have for your new manager and the Human Resources (HR) department. 

Thoroughly understanding what will be expected of you in your new role is the imperative first step in creating an effective 90-day plan. 

Get to Know Your Colleagues 

Another critical aspect of an effective 90-day plan is getting to know our colleagues. Take the time to get to know as many new colleagues as possible. This includes your close-quarter colleagues, supervisors, executives, HR staff, and your company’s clients. 

Putting in the effort to identify the colleagues with whom you’ll be working will help you navigate the office and build valuable relationships from day one. 

Start this process by familiarizing yourself with the organization chart. Learn the various departments, the organizational hierarchy, and who the key players in the organization are. This will inform you about who reports to whom, how the ideas and decision making flow, and the people you will work with most closely. 

Understand Your New Company 

Another important aspect of preparing for a new job is understanding what your new company wants and needs. To succeed in your new position, you must align your objectives with the company’s goals and values. Also, get an understanding of the company’s priorities and even their challenges. 

One effective way to gain this understanding is to speak with your new manager or supervisor. Get a clear idea of what the company expects from you. Then, talk with other employees at the company. Find out which aspects of their roles are going well and which parts they struggle with the most. This will give you insight into the company’s successes and challenges. 

Create Objectives and Strategies 

Once you’ve educated yourself about the company, it’s time to create your objectives and strategies for the first 90 days of your new job. These need to be specific and measurable goals. Additionally, each 90-day goal needs smaller action steps to help you reach that goal. 

When setting your goals, ensure that they align with the company’s goals and fall within the scope of your new role. Some areas to remember when setting these 90-day goals are as follows. 

• Building relationships with colleagues 

• Learning and mastering new skills 

• Identifying projects that you need to complete 

• Taking action steps to contribute to the company’s overall success 

Once you’ve outlined your objectives, develop the action steps and strategies to help you achieve them. This can be anything from making a point to attending industry events, enrolling in relevant training courses, and collaborating with your new colleagues. 

Implement Your Plan 

Once you have a solid 90-day plan in place, you need to put it into action. Implementing your plan can be broken down into five simple steps. 

• Set clear goals. Make 30, 60, and 90-day goals to make this easier. 

• Take action. Start working on your 90-day plan from day one on the job. 

• Build relationships. Identify your colleagues, their roles, and take the time to build relationships. 

• Stay organized. Keep track of your progress, tasks, and items you still need to complete. 

• Adapt and adjust as needed. As you begin to work on your plan, you may find some things that don’t align, don’t go as planned, or need to be adjusted. Stay flexible and seek feedback from your colleagues and supervisors on how you are doing. 

Evaluate and Adjust As Needed 

The final step in creating and executing a successful 90-day plan is to evaluate and adjust as needed. Reflect on your progress, review your objectives, and assess whether you are on track to achieve your remaining goals. Also, take the time to celebrate your successes. Recognize your progress, acknowledge what is going well, and reward yourself for completed tasks. This will help keep you motivated and continuously improving. 

Want More Information?

For more information on preparing for your new role, look to ASAP. We have a plethora of resources and tools to help you land new positions, maximize opportunities, and succeed in your career.