Estimated Runtime: ~7 minutes
Congratulations — you got the job. But here's what nobody tells you: getting
hired is the easy part. The first ninety days determine whether you're seen as a
top hire or a question mark. And the difference isn't talent — it's strategy.
Top performers walk in with a plan. Everyone else wings it.
Days one through thirty — learn. Your only job is to understand. Understand the
systems, the processes, the politics, and most importantly, the people. Who
makes decisions? Who influences decisions? What does your manager actually care
about? Keep a learning journal. Write down everything. The questions you ask in
month one reveal more about your intelligence than the answers you give in month
six.
Days thirty-one through sixty — contribute. Start delivering. But be strategic
about it. Find quick wins — small improvements that are high-visibility and
low-risk. Maybe it's streamlining a report, fixing a broken process, or
organizing a team resource. These aren't earth-shattering, but they prove you're
competent and proactive.
Days sixty-one through ninety — own. Take full ownership. Lead a project.
Propose a meaningful improvement. Request formal feedback. By day ninety, your
manager should be thinking "great hire." Not because you did something
spectacular, but because you were consistently excellent.
Don't try to change everything in week one. Don't criticize how things were done
before you. Don't be invisible in meetings. Don't over-promise. And above all,
don't neglect relationships for tasks. Your network inside the company
determines everything — what information you receive, what projects you get, and
how quickly you advance.
Write your thirty-sixty-ninety plan before your first day. Share it with your
manager in week one — they'll be impressed because almost nobody does this. Next
lesson — building the internal relationships that accelerate your career.