About the author
30-60-90-Day Plans are like miracle workers in job interviews. They show your potential new boss that you have focus, drive, energy, initiative, and dedication to success. They elevate your conversation about the job to more significant problem-solving discussions between professionals (rather than a flaw-seeking Q&A interrogation). Hiring managers are so excited to find someone who thinks in such a smart, critical way about what it will take to be successful in the role that they consistently extend fantastic job offers to candidates who bring a plan. Who doesn’t want an interview like that?
How Do I Write A 30-60-90-Day Plan?
A 30-60-90-Day Plan is just what it sounds like—it is a plan for each month of the first three months you will be in that new job. You list out what actions you think you will need to complete in that time frame in order to be successful then and in the future. It’s a goal-setting exercise that also, incidentally, prepares you to answer interview questions in a much stronger way than ever before.
1st 30 Days
The first 30 days of any job is typically focused on training–learning everything you need to know to function successfully in the job. Depending on the job, this may include company systems or software, products or services, customers or clients, etc. You are learning your way around and getting settled into the company.
2nd 30 Days (The 60-Day Section)
The next 30 days of your job (the 60-day part) is typically focused more on getting rolling. There’s still learning that may need to happen, but generally less training and more activity. So, you may want to talk about how you’ll learn more details, and become more familiar with the job and company. You may be able to solve some problems or generate some quick wins, and you will probably get feedback on how you’re doing so far.
3rd 30 Days (The 90-Day Section)
The last 30 days should be filled with things that take more initiative on your part. Maybe you’ll be handling projects on your own or initiating new ones. Maybe you’ll bring in new business or solve larger problems.
Avoid Mistakes
A great plan is going to be at least three pages, with at least one page each devoted to each of the 30-day sections of the 90-day total. Don’t make the mistake that some candidates make of bringing in a one page plan. That is nowhere near enough thought or preparation to attack a higher-level, professional job.
To write a good plan, you must think critically about the job and what it will take for you to be successful in it, and you must do some good research on that particular company to find out the details (like the name of the software they use, for instance) that will make your plan ‘sing.’ The more specific you are, the more you’ll impress the hiring manager.
If You Need More Help
It’s difficult to create a plan from scratch on your own, especially if you never have. This is why I’ve created a perfect 30-60-90-Day Plan Template, with coaching. In the coaching, I tell you how to find the specific information you need and what to say to the hiring manager when you talk about your plan (this is the most important part).
Find out more about my 30-60-90-Day Action Plan Template and Coaching, get it and start developing your plan today.
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About the author
Career Coach – Peggy McKee is an expert resource and a dedicated advocate for job seekers. Known as the Sales Recruiter from Career Confidential, her years of experience as a nationally-known recruiter for sales and marketing jobs give her a unique perspective and advantage in developing the tools and strategies that help job seekers stand head and shoulders above the competition. Peggy has been named #1 on the list of the Top 25 Most Influential Online Recruiters by HR Examiner, and has been quoted in articles from CNN, CAP TODAY, Yahoo! HotJobs, and the Denver Examiner.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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