Congratulations – you got the job! The time between receiving the offer and starting the new role can often fly by, anticipation building every day as you get closer to the start date. And now the day has come, you’re first day on the job! You probably have an idea about what you’d like to accomplish in your new role, but what if you set actionable goals to work towards during the first three months? Having a well-defined approach can help to stabilize you in this new organization and role, automatically positioning you to excel in the future. Here are the things you should accomplish in the first 90 days on the job.
Total Understanding of Your “Product”
No matter the field you’re in, it’s always important to understand the product or service that your organization offers. Of course, you should understand technical specifications, pricing, and other crucial elements to be able to effectively talk about what your organization does. But it’s also important to take a closer look at why this product or service is necessary – view it from the target audience’s perspective. And while you’re thinking about it from outside the box, you may just begin to feel a little more passionately about what you’re doing.
Establish Comradery and Connection with Your Teammates
New connections can be awkward to make at first – and some corporate cultures may actually be “keep-to-yourself” in nature. However, relationships are some of the most important investments you can make within an organization. And not just with C-level executives or close teammates. Try to get to know all coworkers, even those that you won’t interact with on a regular basis.
Ask Questions, Get Autonomy
When you’re starting a new job, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll have someone teaching you or need to shadow someone during your training period. Throughout your training, ask questions often and be sure you understand the answers fully. Once you’ve graduated from that training period, you’ll be more prepared to work autonomously due to the effort you made throughout training. Managers will always love self-motivated individuals who are fast learners.
Accept and Apply Feedback
No one is perfect, but this will ring especially true as the newest member of an organization. Many will give you feedback and advice that must be carefully considered and applied in many situations. If you don’t understand where feedback is coming from or why it was directed to you, ask clarifying questions. Remember that constructive criticism is an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.
Find Professional Development Opportunities
Take advantage of all professional development opportunities that your organization may offer, even if they don’t directly apply to your current role. Identify any weaknesses you may have and find outside opportunities to learn to strengthen these skills sets. And if there are coworkers who have roles or skills that you admire, it never hurts to ask if you can pick their brain over lunch!
Recognize Good Work and Share Praise
A sign of a strong leader is to properly identify and call out achievements and successes in other teammates. Even if your new role doesn’t have an element of management or leadership to it, there’s no reason why you can’t recognize and commend colleagues for their successes. If there’s an occasion to nominate them for an industry or organization award, do it! Speak highly of your coworkers to your management team and you’ll see what a difference it can make in company morale!
Become Essential to Your Organization
There are some dangers that come with being the person who always says “yes”, but when you’re new to an organization, there’s no harm in making yourself indispensable. If you don’t know how to complete a task that’s requested of you, take it as a growth challenge. Familiarize yourself with other aspects of the business, and always be willing to help out when the need arises. Over time, you’ll have developed both a great reputation and some job security!
The first 90 days with a new organization will automatically set the tone for the rest of your time in the role. It’s important to be strategic each day, week, and month to ensure that you’re not only meeting employer expectations but also strengthening your value to the organization. If you map out a plan that ends with these seven goals, you will succeed greatly during your first three months within your new role.
Biotech Partners has years in the recruiting industry and has picked up many tips and tricks to the trade. Reach out to us today to learn about a few ways you can improve your chances of successfully moving through the hiring process. Need someone to look at your resume? We do that too!
