When you bring your 30-60-90-day plan to your job interview, there are a few things hiring managers wish you knew.
What advice would they give you BEFORE you create your plan?
Some hiring managers know what 30-60-90-day plans are, and some don’t—until you introduce them to it in your interview.
Whether they’re new to the plan or have seen it many times, hiring managers agree that there are a few ‘need-to-know’ tips that would help you (and them) have a better experience and a more effective job interview.
Check out our hiring manager’s guide to creating the most effective 30-60-90-day plan:
- “Bring it to our first interview—because you may not get another chance.”
Some so-called experts tell you to save your 30-60-90-day plan for your second or final interview—so you’ll have a wow factor and so you can gather information to complete your plan.
The truth is that if you don’t bring a plan to your first interview, you may not communicate everything you need to in order to GET the next interview. Why take that chance?
How can you know what to put in your plan without speaking to the hiring manager first? This leads us to our next piece of advice…
- “Do your homework.”
You have to do your homework before the interview anyway—why not do a little more than required so you can create a worthy 90-day plan? (And have a stronger interview?)
Show respect for the company, the job, and the hiring manager by learning as much as possible before you show up so you can have a conversation that matters.
(Find out how to research for your 30/60/90-day plan.)
- “Don’t worry that it isn’t perfect. You can’t know everything yet.”
This is one of the biggest worries for job seekers: “What if my plan has a mistake?” Well, of course your plan won’t be perfect. It can’t be—because you haven’t worked there yet.
Your plan is a working document, not a finished masterpiece. Put your thoughts down and discuss them with the interviewer. Then you can revise your plan for your second interview—unless they offer you the job first.
“Show me your thought process.”
Hiring you is a risk. Show them who you are, how you think, and how you approach problems with your plan. Lay out a plan of action with prioritized tasks. Use your interview conversation to find out if they agree with you and why or why not.
If you haven’t done this job before, this process is what you need to show them that you’re capable of doing the job. I’ve seen many newbies beat out more-experienced people with these plans.
(See 30 60 90 Day Plans Secure the Job If You Have No Experience)
If you HAVE done this job before, this process is what will set you apart from your competition, who isn’t demonstrating these qualities.
- “Don’t bring a generic plan.”
Yes…in every job, there are tasks and goals you need to accomplish in order to be considered successful. However, the details are different for every company and every job. Use your research to tailor your plan for that job. Really analyze how you would approach that job and be successful.
Don’t bring a plan that’s too short (a page or less). That’s an insult to the job.
Don’t bring a plan that’s too long—something so long that it becomes more about you and what you’ve done than about what you can do for THEM).
- “Don’t leave the plan with me to look at after you leave—I won’t.”
There are lots of ways to convince a hiring manager to look at your plan with you during the interview.
However, some interviewers will be stubborn—they have an agenda to get through and they don’t want to see your plan.
They may say, “Leave it with me and I’ll look it over tomorrow.” Don’t bother. They won’t look at it after you’ve gone. They’ll set it aside and move on to the next task (or interview).
Instead, ask to come back at a better time to go over it with them.
Your Key Takeaways
- Bring a 30 60 90 day plan to your first interview.
- Put some effort into researching the details of your plan—but don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.
- Share your thoughts with the hiring manager about your plan for the job—it’s like giving them a test drive.
- Don’t bring a generic plan—or one that’s too short or too long.
- Don’t leave it with the interviewer without getting a chance to go over it with them.
It’s difficult to create a plan on your own—especially for the first interview. It’s even more difficult to ask to show it to the hiring manager in a high-stress environment like an interview.
That’s why I’ve developed a plan for you that’s detailed enough to be impressive (with your research), and finished enough to save you days of work.
You customize it for yourself (the guide that comes with it shows you how) and watch my video coaching to learn how to talk about it during the interview. Job seekers tell me this may be the most valuable section of my plan.
See what others have to say about my 30 60 90 day plan here: