A 30/60/90-day plan is a detailed outline of what you intend to do on the job in your first 3 months as an employee. It’s an overall strategy for success laid out in a step-by-step fashion that is specific to that company and that job. The more specific it is to that company, the better off you are, because you want the hiring manager to be able to visualize you working for him and being successful in the job.
As you might guess, it’s not easy to just whip one of these up in a hurry.
The short answer is yes. A recruiter can and will absolutely help you put together a 30/60/90-day plan, especially an external recruiter whose paycheck depends on you getting the job.
The longer answer is also yes, but you have to do your part in making sure that happens. A good recruiter can point you in the right direction for your research on the company. But you also have to ask the right questions to get the recruiter to share with you what they believe and know about the company and the job.
What are some basic things you need to know to create a killer 30/60/90-day plan?
What’s the greatest challenge for the position?
Why is the position open?
What has to happen for the role to be successful?
Who has been hired for this position before?
What made them successful at it (or not)?
These concepts are huge. They are going to help you think strategically about the role and create a plan of attack that will ultimately result in your success.
A good recruiter will also be able to point you to essential resources to help you. Not just a home webpage address, but possibly a summary of the company, white papers on company products or services, or more. (But don’t forget the company’s LinkedIn page. That’s a tremendous resource, also.)
Even better, a smart candidate will have the recruiter review and critique the plan before it’s presented in the interview. The input you get could in fact be what makes you superior to all other candidates and get you the job offer.
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The best time to present your 30/60/90-day plan is in your first face-to-face interview. In this difficult economy, many well-qualified people are applying for jobs, creating some stiff competition for you, so you’re going to want to come out of the gate strong. Don’t bother trying to bring it up during your phone interview—I don’t think you can present it well over the phone. I do think that you can email it to the hiring manager if you are trying to get the hiring manager’s attention and you’ve exhausted your other methods.
So, the optimum time to present your 30/60/90 is during your interview, when the hiring manager asks you something like:
I don't think it's even possible to be "over-prepared" for your job interview. The better prepared you are, the more confident you will be--and that shows. And especially in this job market, you've got to show up with your "A" game right off the bat to avoid getting eliminated from consideration. That means putting everything you've got into getting ready for your interview. When you think about your interview strategy, think about your goals. What do you want to accomplish in the interview?
You want your potential boss to see how successful you are going to be in the job.
You want to convince him that your product (you as a candidate) is the one he needs to solve his problem.
So, you've got to be able to address, with as much knowledge as you can, what the company's issues are and how you are the best person to tackle them. That takes research and preparation. You've got to know what the company's mission, goals, and biggest problems are.
The best way to showcase your interview preparation is with a 30/60/90-day plan. It's a written outline of your tasks and goals for your first 3 months on the job. You have to do some pretty extensive background research to get one completed, but it's worth it because it is the tool you need to accomplish your interview goals. Most people think about it in relation to sales jobs, but it's completely adaptable to just about every job.
A 30/60/90-day plan shows the hiring manager that you're going to be able to step right into the job without missing a beat. It helps him to see you in the job, because as you discuss your plan, you'll be talking about you on the job. You'll be able to demonstrate your communication and strategic thinking skills. You will be demonstrating your dedication and commitment to the company before you even have the offer.
That's a significant amount of work, and a lot more than most candidates will do. But that's exactly why this kind of "over-preparation" makes you stand out as a candidate who's prepared for success.
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The best-prepared candidate is often the one who gets the offer.
And the hands-down, very best way to ensure that YOU are the best-prepared candidate is to construct a 30/60/90-day plan.
A 30/60/90-day plan is a written outline of what you will be doing in your first 3 months on the job. It's divided up into segments--your first 30 days, which are usually focused on training and the getting-to-know-everyone part; the next 30 days (the 60-day part), which is usually the getting-up-to-speed portion; and the last 30 days (the 90-day part), which is where you set goals for accomplishing on your own (like bringing in new accounts, going after new business, or otherwise contributing to the growth of the company).
These plans can be as detailed as you wish, or you can keep it simple. The important thing is to make it specific to the company you're interviewing with. Not only does that allow you to demonstrate that you've done your homework on the company, it helps you talk to the hiring manager about specific things you'll be doing, which helps him to see you in the job (which is half your battle).
Want more? They also help you have more control over your conversation with the hiring manager. It facilitates finding out what the hiring manger is really interested in, so that you can talk about what's going to sell you as a candidate for the job.
The 30/60/90-day plan takes some effort to put together. The research on the company is the most extensive and time-consuming part (but you need to know that stuff anyway, right?) and then it takes some strategic thinking to actually write out the plan. But just the effort alone makes you shine in the interview because most candidates won't go that far in thinking about their role at the company before they've even got the job. It makes the hiring manager look at you and think, "If this candidate will work this hard and show this much commitment to the company before we've even hired him, what will he do as an employee?" And THAT'S what you want him to think.
To really shine in the interview, you want to blow the hiring manager away with your focus, energy, initiative and dedication right from the start. The 30/60/90-day plan is the way to do that.
There are tools available to help you, complete with samples and actual fill-in-the-blank templates:
That's a question many candidates ask. Folks who want to differentiate themselves but aren't sure about the timing or etiquette involved in the hiring process wonder if they should bring the whole 30/60/90-day sales or action plan to the first interview. Watch the video for my answer: Read more...
Welcome to Part 3 of my 6-part series on how to stand out in your job search. Today's job search is unlike any we've seen before. There have been, and continue to be, major shakeups in the job market, and thousands of candidates are applying for fewer jobs. And, the market itself is changing as candidates utilize new ways to network and find positions. You really have to bring your game to stand out from other candidates in today's market. With that in mind, I've created this series. Tip #1 was Rethink Your Job Search, and Tip #2 was Using Social Media in Your Job Search. Today's tip #3 is:
A 30/60/90-day plan is a very powerful interview tool for any job. Why?
It's a demonstration of your go-getter attitude, and it shows that you are someone who will go above and beyond to get the job done. Most other candidates won't have done this plan (if they even know about it) because it takes some effort to do it--before you even know if you've got the job. It's a tangible demonstration of your energy and enthusiasm for THIS job.
It helps you to have a targeted interview, focused not just on what you've done before, but on what you can offer for this job, at this company. And it allows you to have a conversation between professionals, rather than a ping-pong style Q&A session.
It helps the hiring manager "see" you in the job, because the whole plan is focused on what you will do in it for the first 90 days, and that's what you'll be talking about.
Watch the video and I'll show you what you should say and how you can use the 90-day plan to tip the interview in your favor by helping the hiring manager see you in the job.
If you’re searching for a job, you want every advantage you can get, right?Which means, you’ve probably put a lot of effort into your resume, you’ve found the perfect suit for interviewing, and you’ve gone over your answers to potential interview questions as well as your dos and don’ts.
A 30-60-90-day plan is an outline for what you will do when you start the job. Essentially, you spell out for your future employer, in as little or as much detail as necessary, how you will spend your time. To do that, you have to do some research on the company so that you know what you’re talking about…a search on Google, LinkedIn, or the company’s own website can provide you with the information you need. (It’s always impressive to a hiring manager if you can show that you’ve done your homework before the interview, remember?)
The basics:
The first 30 days of your plan is usually focused on training–learning the company systems, products, and customers. So, most of the items in your 30-day plan should be along the lines of attending training, mastering product knowledge, learning specific corporate systems, traveling to learn your territory (if you're in sales), meeting other members of the team, or reviewing accounts.
The next 30 days (the 60-day part) are focused on more field time, less training, more customer introductions, reviews of customer satisfaction, and getting feedback from your manager.
The last 30 days (the 90-day part) are the “getting settled” part. You’ve had the training, you’ve met the customers, and now you can focus on sales!It should include things that take more initiative on your part: landing your own accounts, scheduling programs, or coming up with new ways to get prospects' attention (again, if you're in sales), as well as continuing to get performance feedback and fine-tuning your schedule.
The more specific you can be in the details, the better off you are—by that I mean specifying the name of the training you’ll need, rather than just indicating that you’ll “get training,” for instance. That’s why you research the company, not just the position!
This kind of analysis of the position not only sets you apart from other job seekers… it also makes you a better performer on the job. It means you’ve put some thought into what it takes to be successful, and once you’ve written down your goals, they become much easier to attain.
Using a 30-60-90-day plan to show that you’ve done your homework, analyzed the position, and thoughtfully considered how you can best serve this particular company in this particular capacity is very impressive to a hiring manager.This kind of effort is the advantage you need that will set you apart from other candidates and get you hired.
2: Click here to register for the no charge webinar that talks in more detail about this.
I know that this will make a difference in your job search.
Usually, when you think of using a 30/60/90-Day plan, you associate it with landing a job at a new company--and it's a fantastic tool for that because you're demonstrating your skill, your understanding, and your strategic thought processes, among other great qualities. It's even more impressive when you use it while transitioning to a new position, because it demonstrates that you understand the job and can do the job, even though you don't necessarily have that much (if any) experience.
But, a 30/60/90-day plan is also a powerful tool when you're going after a promotion within your own company. Watch to see me explain how you can use the plan at increasingly higher levels in the company, and what you have to keep in mind in that situation.
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