Structure your first 90 days at a new job with clear 30/60/90 day milestones. Covers relationship building, quick wins, feedback loops, and documentation habits.
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Days 1-30: Learn and Listen
Schedule 1:1 meetings with every team member and key stakeholders
Book 20-30 minute meetings with each person you will work with regularly. Prepare 3 questions: 'What are you working on?', 'What is the biggest challenge for the team right now?', and 'How can I best support your work?' Complete all meetings within your first 3 weeks.
Map the team's relationships, decision-makers, and informal power structure
Org charts show reporting lines, not influence. After your 1:1 meetings, draw a map of who makes decisions, who is consulted, and who has informal influence. Understanding this network prevents you from bypassing important people or pitching ideas to the wrong audience.
Read all onboarding documentation, team wikis, and past project recaps
Spend 30-60 minutes daily reading team documentation for the first 2 weeks. Take notes on anything unclear and bring questions to your 1:1 with your manager. Most new hires skip this step and spend months discovering information their colleagues assumed they knew.
Ask your manager to define what success looks like at 30, 60, and 90 days
Do this in your first week. Ask: 'What would you need to see from me at the end of month one to feel confident about my progress?' Write down their exact answer. If they are vague, propose specific milestones and get confirmation. Misaligned expectations are the top cause of new hire friction.
Identify 2-3 quick wins you can deliver in the first 30 days
Quick wins are small, visible contributions that build credibility early. Fixing a broken process, updating an outdated document, or volunteering for a task no one wants to do all count. Deliver at least one before your 30-day mark. Early wins buy you goodwill for bigger initiatives later.
Days 31-60: Contribute and Build
Take ownership of at least one project or workstream
Volunteer for a project that is visible but not mission-critical — this gives you room to learn while demonstrating initiative. Owning a deliverable from start to finish shows your manager you can operate independently. Aim for something you can complete within 3-4 weeks.
Request a formal 30-day check-in with your manager
Do not wait for your manager to schedule it. Ask: 'Can we do a quick 30-day check-in? I'd like to hear how you think things are going and get feedback on any areas I should adjust.' This conversation catches misalignments early — before they become performance issues.
Start documenting processes and knowledge gaps you discover
As a new hire, you have a unique perspective — you notice inefficiencies that tenured employees have stopped seeing. Document them in a running list. After 60 days, you will have 5-10 improvement opportunities to discuss with your manager. New perspectives have a shelf life of about 90 days.
Build relationships with 2-3 people outside your immediate team
Cross-functional relationships make your work easier and increase your visibility. Connect with people in adjacent teams you will collaborate with. Offer to grab coffee or hop on a 15-minute virtual chat. These connections pay off when you need buy-in or support for future projects.
Days 61-90: Lead and Propose
Propose one meaningful improvement based on your first 60 days of observations
Pick the highest-impact item from your documentation list. Frame it as: 'I noticed X is taking the team Y hours per week. I researched a solution that could reduce this by 40%. Can I present a proposal?' Data-backed proposals get approved. Opinions without data get politely ignored.
Take on more complex or cross-functional work
By month 3, you should be contributing at the level expected of your role, not operating like a new hire. Volunteer for projects that require coordination with other teams or present at a team meeting. Increasing your scope signals readiness for greater responsibility.
Request a 90-day review and discuss your development goals
Prepare a 1-page summary: what you accomplished, what you learned, and what you want to focus on next. Ask your manager: 'What should I prioritize in the next quarter?' and 'Are there skills I should develop?' This conversation sets the trajectory for your first annual review.
Start contributing to team culture: share knowledge, help new hires, offer feedback
At the 90-day mark, you transition from newcomer to team member. Share what you have learned with others, offer to help onboard the next hire, and start giving (not just receiving) feedback in meetings. Contributing to culture is how you become indispensable rather than just competent.
Feedback and Communication
Ask for specific feedback after every major deliverable
After completing a project, ask your manager: 'What went well and what would you want me to do differently next time?' General questions like 'How am I doing?' produce vague answers. Tie feedback requests to specific work products for actionable responses.
Send weekly status updates to your manager for the first 90 days
A 3-5 bullet email every Friday covering what you accomplished, what you are working on next, and any blockers keeps your manager informed without requiring extra meetings. Most managers appreciate this level of proactive communication from new hires. Stop only when they tell you to.
Keep a running list of your accomplishments and contributions
Start a document on day one and add to it weekly. Include projects completed, positive feedback received, metrics achieved, and problems solved. By your first performance review, you will have 50+ entries instead of scrambling to remember what you did 6 months ago.
Find a Mentor
Identify 1-2 potential mentors within the company by day 45
Look for someone 1-2 levels above you who has been at the company for 2+ years and whose career path you admire. They do not need to be on your team. Informal mentorship — regular coffee chats every 2-3 weeks — is often more valuable than formal mentor programs.
Ask your mentor about the unwritten rules and promotion criteria
Every company has unofficial norms that no one tells new hires: how decisions really get made, which meetings matter, and what actually gets people promoted. A mentor who knows the system can save you 6-12 months of figuring this out on your own.
Bring specific questions to every mentor conversation
Prepare 2-3 questions before each meeting. 'How did you handle a situation like X?' is better than 'Any advice for me?' Specific questions show respect for their time and produce actionable guidance. Keep mentor meetings to 30 minutes and always follow up with a thank-you.
Documentation Habits
Create a personal onboarding guide with everything you wish you knew on day one
As you learn the ropes, document the answers to questions you had to ask. Tool access procedures, common acronyms, key contacts, and meeting schedules all belong here. The next person who joins the team will thank you, and your manager will see you as someone who improves things.
Document any tribal knowledge that exists only in people's heads
When a colleague explains a process verbally, write it up and share it with the team. Tribal knowledge is a risk to the organization and a gift to the new hire who captures it. Creating 2-3 process documents in your first 90 days is a high-value, low-effort contribution.
Establish your own system for tracking tasks, notes, and deadlines
Whether you use a digital tool, a paper notebook, or a combination, settle on your system in the first 2 weeks and stick with it. Switching systems mid-quarter means losing context. A consistent system builds the habit of writing things down immediately, which prevents dropped balls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I accomplish in my first 30 days at a new job?
Focus entirely on learning: understand team dynamics, memorize names and roles of 15-20 key colleagues, master the primary tools and systems, and complete all onboarding requirements. Schedule 15-minute introductory meetings with everyone you will work with regularly. Resist the urge to suggest changes — you lack the context to identify real problems versus intentional decisions during month one.
When should I start contributing ideas at a new job?
Begin sharing observations and small suggestions around week 3-4, framing them as questions: 'I noticed X — is there a reason the team handles it this way?' Save larger strategic recommendations for the 60-90 day mark when you understand the full context. Managers consistently report that new hires who listen for 30 days before contributing earn more credibility than those who suggest changes on day one.
How do I build relationships with new coworkers quickly?
Schedule informal 20-minute 'get to know you' conversations with 2-3 colleagues per week during your first month. Ask about their role, what they wish they had known when they started, and how your work will intersect with theirs. Offering specific help ('I am good at Excel — let me know if you need help with that report') creates reciprocity faster than general friendliness.
What are the most common mistakes in the first 90 days?
The three most frequent mistakes are: criticizing the previous person in your role or existing processes (interpreted as arrogance), over-promising deliverables before understanding the pace and resources (creates unrealistic expectations), and isolating yourself by not proactively scheduling introductions (results in being perceived as unfriendly). A fourth common error is neglecting to clarify success metrics with your manager — schedule this conversation in week one.
Should I work extra hours during my first 90 days?
Working 10-15% more hours during the first month is common and helps accelerate learning, but sustained overwork signals poor time management rather than dedication. Set clear boundaries by month two: arrive and leave at consistent times, and decline meetings that conflict with personal commitments. Managers who see you working late every night may assume you are struggling rather than being extra committed.