You have been shortlisted from the multitude of candidates and called for an interview.
You have impressed the interviewers and have been selected for a special and important role in the organization.
- Now how do you plan the first 3 months in your newly acquired job?
- What are you expected to do and what is the right approach?
- Is there any special way that leads to the path of success?
Yes, you need to put in that extra effort to make sure you do not lose the job you have got after much effort. Here are few job priorities you should have during the first 90 days at work.
First 90 Days on the Job – Your Road Map For Success:
First 7 days- Know the people in your department:
Yes, when you join a new company, your first priority should be to understand the hierarchy in the organization.
You need to know who your reporting head is. You also need to understand who are the people you are going to deal with on a daily basis.
Understanding the team structure is vital if you want to coordinate with the people in the team. You should also understand the responsibilities handled by each member in the team.
The first seven days are very crucial. It is the time when you have to understand the basic work ethics in the organization too.
You need to understand the time employees generally spend on snacks and lunch. It is the time to identify the actions that may cause you to be blacklisted. People who make the best use of the first seven days settle down quickly in the organization.
In the second week- Understand your key responsibilities:
By the time you reach the second week in the organization, you are assigned with a few tasks. By this time, you also get a fair picture of what is expected from you.
You need to identify your key responsibilities early so that you may prosper. You need to time your efforts and gauge your success rate.
If there are errors in the tasks you are handling, try to identify the repeated errors. Introspect and identify the reason why these errors are happening.
Make a time management scheme for your daily activities. Self evaluate your work and correct yourself. Take a vow to improve consistently.
Third week at the job- Gauge where you stand:
Once you evaluate yourself on a regular basis and make sure that you are putting in the best of your efforts, you need to jump to the next stage of the scheme.
You need to evaluate your work in comparison with the people around you. See whether your performance is at par with people around you. This evaluation should be made based on the quality and amount of the work you do.
It is possible that you consider your work to be perfect but the firm may regard you as an under performer.
You need to thus make sure you are at par or above the company standards. This is vital if you wish to remain in the organization.
Fourth Week- plan a self assessment and improvement programme:
It is not just important to understand where you stand but also to take the right actions based on the judgement.
If you think you are not at the same level as your colleagues, you need to practice and perfect the art and science of your work.
You may create a proper schedule of the actions you plan to take to correct your mistakes and improve your work.
You must also chart the method you have employed and the improvement you have made after starting on the present method.
When you ascend the ladder, you may be able to help out your juniors by sharing these methods with them.
Second month- Hear reviews from seniors regarding your performance and take necessary steps:
By the second month, if your performance is not good, your seniors will surely let you know. Even if your performance is good, you need to ask your seniors about their opinion on where you lack.
Their reviews will be backed by years of experience in the organization. It can be relied on. If they provide any particular feedback regarding special aspects of improvement, you need to start focusing on those aspects.
Ask them if they have any work-related suggestions. If you get an opportunity, sit with your seniors and observe how they undertake different tasks.
You will get to know of various shortcuts to handle different tasks. You will also understand why they are in a senior position in the organization.
You will get to learn the tricks of the trade and you will slowly transition from a fresher to an experienced candidate.
Third month- start taking initiatives to improve work in your team:
By the third month in an organization, you already know many people working in the firm. You are a part of the team and you have already blended with the work culture of the firm.
You have also started working seriously and now it is your turn to do that extra bit in the office so that you gain recognition.
Organizations do not recognize people who slog or do overtime. They always look for people who can do that extra bit apart from work while working efficiently.
The third month is when you have to show your employers that you possess the extra skill people around you lack.
Make sure you participate in all the office related events and functions like games and fashion shows. You must also actively participate in quizzes and competitions representing your team for the same.
You need to highlight yourself as an all rounder so that the firm respects you as someone more than just another employee.
The first three months in any job decides your future in the organization. It is the time when you are under complete scrutiny and you need to act with maturity to retain your position in the organization.
How the employers observe you in the first 90 days of your job?
The employers want to make sure that they have hired the right candidate for the position. They continuously observe the newly hired candidate and judge the candidates on various aspects.
Here we have listed down a couple of aspects on the basis of which you will be judged in the first three months of your work.
1. What kind of candidate are you?
The employers try to understand if you are an introvert or an extrovert. They also try and understand what is your attitude towards work and life.
They make a note of all your skills and abilities. They also try to find out the kind of work you are good at.
The high level of scrutiny is not noticed by most candidates. It may cause a lot of stress in candidates who notice the scrutiny.
2. How do you perform your work?
The employers gauge you comparing your work with the work of other team members. They make a note of the amount of time you take to perform in an efficient manner.
They grade you based on your performance. They also provide support and assistance if they think you require it.
3. How good are you at interacting with the team?
Your interaction with different team members matters a lot when you are in an organization. You cannot work in a firm if you are not a team player.
You need to develop a good rapport with all your team members. They observe your ability to cooperate with other team members.
If you are a poor team player, you have fewer chances of ascending the ladder of success.
4. Do you follow the rules and regulations of the organization?
The rules and regulations set by the organization are meant to be followed. The employers observe you and try to understand whether you abide by the rules of the firm.
Your team head and team leaders are continuously observing you and they notify you if you break any rule or go against any regulation.
You need to make sure that you do not extend the lunch or tea breaks and comply by the company standards.
5. Do you participate in extracurricular activities?
You must actively participate in extracurricular activities. These activities reveal your other skills and abilities.
It also reveals that you have more to you than just the office work. The extra abilities are what mark a candidate as unique and above average.
6. Will you be a good leader?
The employers also try to find out whether you are good at getting work done from others. Your leadership qualities define your chances of promotion in a certain field.
They also try and gauge how good you are at shouldering responsibilities related to various tasks.
If you procrastinate at work, you will never be regarded a great candidate for promotion. You need to understand the seriousness of the work you handle and complete it within a specified time limit.
You should also be able to resolve issues between members in a team. This is a great quality if you wish to be promoted to the position of a team leader or a project head.
So don’t be happy just by getting selected for the job, it is a long journey to traverse.
