How to Make the Most of Your First 90 Days at a New Job

Starting a new job can be exciting, nerve-wracking and confusing all at the same time. The first few days, weeks and months, are an exhilarating time and also particularly essential to your future success at your new organization. Harvard Business School’s Career Coach, Matt Spielman, introduced research that supports that an employee’s first 90 days are a determining factor of an employee’s performance, longevity and contribution to the company.

How do you make the most of this time while simultaneously growing your skills, meeting your coworkers and acclimating to a new environment? Read on for our tips for making the most out of your first 90 days at a new job.

Be Engaged & Ask Questions

When you are starting a new job, you are undoubtedly going to have questions. Your first few days will be filled with an overload of information about the company, your role and who you will be working with. During this time, you want to be a sponge. Try to take in as much information as you can. Actively take notes and participate in your trainings where possible. More likely than not, the person conducting the training will appreciate your engagement, and actively participating will help you remember some of the essential topics that are covered in those first few days.

As you progress into your job-specific training with your manager or other members of your team, being actively engaged in training will become increasingly important. Not only will the information you learned be essential to your daily responsibilities, but it will also help show your colleagues that you are interested and involved in the work.

Meet Everyone & Be Prepared

One advantage of being new at a company is that you have the chance to meet with others in the organization for no one specific reason. Some companies may schedule you to meet with you coworkers at the start, but others may leave it up to you to schedule on your own. In any case, you’ll find great value in scheduling these brief meetings. For starters, it is a great way to meet other members of the organization and understand their role. Additionally, if you prepare ahead of time, you can maximize this opportunity and use it to your advantage later on.

After you’ve identified who you’d like to meet with (or it has been established for you), do some pre-research using resources your company website or LinkedIn. By understanding the individual’s role ahead of time, you can have a good idea of the questions you may want to ask during the meeting. During the meeting, ask questions to better understand the individual’s history with the company, goals and how you will work together. Not only will being prepared help you gain valuable insight, it will show others you value their time and are engaged in your new role. Lastly, after the meeting it is a good idea to follow up with the person and possibly establish a cadence for meeting again in the future. After all, they may be a potential mentor for you later on.

Learn as Much as You Can & Take Action

In your first 90 days, you’ll likely have completed the majority, if not all, of your new-hire training and met with many of your new coworkers. There will likely never be a period such as this where you have access to resources, individuals and courses like you do, so make the most of it! During this time, learn as much as you can about the company, your role and what is needed to be successful at the organization.

With this newfound knowledge, it is a good idea to take action early. While you won’t be expected to come up with the next big idea, you should want to start making an impact in your role toward the end of the first 90 days. For example, if your manager recommends taking online training courses on a particular software that you will be utilizing, it might be a good idea to enroll in those classes within the first few months in your new role.

While it is normal to be apprehensive when first getting started in your new role, it is a good idea to embrace your daily tasks and take on each new challenge head-on. Rely on your trainings and those around you. Chances are, you’ll likely have resources and colleagues to support you. Getting hands-on in your new role from the beginning will help you assimilate into the role faster, and show your new colleagues that you are ready (and willing) to dive into new projects and tasks.

The first 90 days of your new role will likely bring new challenges, excitements and opportunities to shine. By taking advantage of this period, you can hit the ground running in your role and set yourself up for future success at your new organization.

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