Your First 90 Days in a New Job: 6 Tips For A Successful Start

August 16, 2021 in Career and Job Search Tips, First 90 Days in New Job

 

 

The first 90 days in a new job are critical in the food and beverage industry. How can you build a foundation that will help ensure long-term success?

 

Here are 6 tips from Kinsa Group’s team of Executive Recruiters for job success:

  1. Observe, diligently. Sometimes people feel a need to make a big splash when starting a new position, to demonstrate their capabilities. More often than not, this can backfire. Unless you are called upon to immediately tackle an urgent problem, it’s better to spend your first few months wrapping your head around the company, the team and any unwritten rules.
  2. Set goals, with your boss. Chances are good your boss will push to make this happen. If not, you should. The best way to ensure your first few months are a success is to have a very specific understanding of what that looks like. Develop SMART goals – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant & time-bound — for your first 30, 60 and 90 days.
  3. Get to know the team. You will want to spend time with peers, direct and indirect reports. Manage these conversations carefully. Listen closely, but remember that their priorities are not necessarily your priorities. Still, you want to get to know them. Remember, you don’t have to be friends, but a decent personal relationship goes a long way towards reinforcing an effective working relationship.
  4. Demonstrate your commitment. You don’t necessarily have to be the first one in the door and the last one to leave every day, but everyone will notice your level of commitment as you settle in. At the same time, be careful of the precedents you set. If you work through lunch every day of your first week, for example, that will become the expectation.
  5. SWOT Analysis. Once you have a decent understanding of the position and the challenges you face, conduct a SWOT analysis. SWOT refers to “strengths,” “weaknesses,” “opportunities,” and “threats.” Try to summarize these areas as objectively as possible. (Google “SWOT” for more info.) This analysis should give you a solid basis for where to focus your energy.
  6. Ask for feedback. Start with your boss. If they are not providing proactive, regular feedback, ask for it. If you have a colleague you come to trust, you may wish to ask for their advice and feedback as well.

 

It’s hard to “roll back” a bad start. These ideas from Kinsa Group should provide a roadmap to successfully navigate your first 90 days in a new role and build a foundation for success! 

 

Looking for more new job success tips? Check out these earlier posts from Kinsa: