Your First 30 Days

by Jenn Givler

Published on this site: May 12th, 2005 - See more articles from this month...

You got the job! You've picked your start date, read over your offer letter, picked out your new outfit and now you're ready to start right? Take some time to celebrate and enjoy the feeling of landing that job. Then, when you've recovered from that, it's time to start thinking about what you will accomplish in your first 30 days on the job.

The company that you are going to be working for hired you because they felt you could help them accomplish their goals. They hired you because they know you will produce results for them. Have you thought about how you will actually do that, or are you just waiting until your first day to be told what to do? It's more impressive to start thinking of these things on your own, and to take some initiative and begin your tenure with this company by showing them that you are the type of employee that takes action and can get things done. After all, you want to be successful here, and eventually, raise to new heights in your career right?

Showing your new company that you really are results oriented and hard working isn't as difficult as you think. A simple exercise before your first day of work, and a couple of great questions to your manager on your first day, is all it takes.

First, go back and look at the job post that you responded to. What were the requirements of the job? Write down each of those requirements on a piece of paper. Write down whether or not you have experience with each of the requirements. If you do have experience, outline when, where, and the nature of the experience. If you do not have experience with a requirement, write down how you will be able to fulfill that requirement. Whether it will be through on-the-job training, or taking a course.

For example, let's say you are a Technical Trainer and you have been hired to teach proprietary software program to customers and internal staff. One of the job requirements is that the successful candidate will create a web based e-learning program. You have 3 years of experience creating e-learning programs with the same software that the company uses, so this is something you can get started with rather quickly. You will have to learn the company's software, but translating that into an e-learning program will not be difficult. Another requirement might be that you will create an internal training program for the company's internal staff. In this case, you do not have experience with this company's internal staff, nor do you know what their process is for creating an internal training program. One of the things you can do in your first 30 days is to learn their process, and get to know the staff that you are charged with training.

The next thing to do, is to look at the job posting and see what qualifications the company was seeking in a candidate. Chances are, you have most of them. But, there may be one or two that were "wish list" items for the company that you do not possess. How hard would it be to acquire those qualifications? What would need to be done to get those qualifications? If possible, begin the process of achieving those qualifications in your first 30 days. Whether it's registering for a class, or taking an internal training class at the company, find out what needs to be done, and initiate that process.

Now that you've done some homework, you can relax until your first day of work. On your first day, you will want to meet with your manager and ask some questions about your job responsibilities, and what your manager and your peers expect of you.

One great question to ask on the first day is "what are your expectations of me?" This will give your boss a chance to express what he or she is hoping you will accomplish. Take careful notes, and then compare them to what you wrote down when you reviewed the job posting. Your manager's expectations should take precedence over what you wrote before you began the job.

Another great question to ask is "what do my peers expect of me?" You may be taking over some work from a co-worker, or you may be creating something that has never been done before. Chances are good that the team met before you were hired to discuss what the new person would handle, and how they envisioned the position being filled. Asking this question will give you some insight into how the team sees you fitting in. This is also a great question to ask members of the team. This will give them the opportunity to tell you first hand how they see your role developing.

A question that will give you some insight into the future is "how do you see this role developing over time?" If you asked this in an interview with this company, now, the manager may be able to give you some additional insight. During the interview process, your manager may not have completely thought out the answer to this question because they had no idea who would be filling the role, or what the strengths of that person might be. Now that you are on the job, the manager may have some additional insight for you.

Doing some homework, and asking some pointed questions on your first day will give you a great roadmap to success during your first 30 days on the job. Doing these exercises will also help you become acclimated, and will help you have some tangible goals to set for yourself. This will only provide you with a frame-work though. As you do your job every day, and as you learn more about the company, you will probably need to tweak and adjust your plan slightly along the way. Keep asking questions, getting to know your peers and your company, and keep setting goals for yourself and you will be setting the stage for big success!

Jenn Givler is owner of J. Givler Consulting – www.jgivler.com. Our mission is to help you become empowered, put yourself first and be centered and grounded in who you are and what you want out of this life. Through our career and life coaching sessions, we can help you set goals and achieve your dreams. We also offer resume writing and consultation services, as well as interview coaching services. Visit our web site and sign up for our newsletter: Clearly You!.