In almost 20 years of working, managing and hiring others, recruiting, and career coaching, I’ve never seen a more effective job interview tool than a 30-60-90-Day Plan. However, here’s a warning: Just because it’s a 30-60-90-day plan doesn’t mean it’s a good plan that will help you get hired. What makes a plan the right 30 60 90 day plan for job interviews?
It’s Long Enough
You can’t expect a 1-page plan to be effective for you. That’s more and more true the higher up the career ladder you go.
A good plan is at least 3 pages: one each for the 30-day section, the 60-day section, and the 90-day section.
(Check out this guide to writing a 30 60 90 day plan for job interviews.)
It’s Detailed
With at least one page for each section, you have plenty of room to add details. The more detailed you can make your plan, the better and more effective it is.
The first 30 days typically focus on learning the company, getting any necessary training, and getting to know people you work with. It could also include your first work steps, like meeting top customers or performing basic tasks. You want to spell those actions and tasks out, step-by-step.
In the next 30 days (the 60-day section) you should plan to dig a little deeper and expand your reach. So for instance, you may be getting to know support teams, coordinating departments, or important people at other facilities. You may make improvements or recommendations for next steps.
In the last 30 days (the 90-day section), most people plan bigger things. Maybe you’ll go after new customers or clients or start new projects.
Why does your plan need to be detailed? Because you’re walking this hiring manager through your thought processes. You get to show off your analysis and critical thinking skills, and show that you can set smart priorities.
It’s Tailored for the Company
Your plan will be most effective when you tailor it for the company you’re interviewing with. This means you’ll have to do some research. For instance, you could find out the name of the software they use for managing projects or customers, the locations of other facilities or the names of competitors and include those in your plan.
(Find out more about how to find information for your 30-60-90-day plan.)
Talking through your plan with the hiring manager gives them a ‘test drive’ of what it would be like with you on the job. With details, they see that more clearly. The more they can see it, the more likely they’ll offer you the job.
Get the Right 30 60 90 Day Plan for Job Interviews
I know how difficult it is to create a job-winning 30 60 90 day plan, so I developed a template that comes with coaching on how to create the best plan. I based this framework on my own plans and those I’ve used with thousands of candidates in multiple industries all over the world. They’ve gotten great results and you will, too. See what plans are available here:
- 30-60-90-Day Action Plan (for all jobs)
- 30-60-90-Day Sales Plan (specifically for sales roles)
- 30-60-90-Day Plan for Managers
- 30-60-90-Day Plan for Executives