Got an important interview coming up? The best job interview power boost you can give yourself is to bring a 30-60-90-Day Plan.
In the job interview, the hiring manager is looking for you to prove 4 things: That you understand the job, that you will do the job, that you will be successful at the job, and that you won’t pose a risk to his or her own employment. (If you fail, it dings their reputation at best and gets them fired at worst–so it’s really important for them to find your fatal flaw that could bring them down.) Your 30/60/90-day plan answers all 4 of those questions.
With your plan, you show exactly how you can set and hit the goals of the job. They’ll be able to see you in the job because they’ll be discussing ideas and plans. This kind of discussion psychologically moves them from your opponent to your partner.
When you show your 30/60/90-day plan and walk through it with the hiring manager, all of a sudden you’re on the same team. You’re both more relaxed, looking forward, having a more natural conversation, talking about the action steps you’ll take on the job. With that conversation, he or she can already picture you in it. That’s an incredibly powerful advantage for you.
How to Create a 30/60/90-Day Plan
A 30-60-90-day plan is a written outline of what you intend to accomplish in your first 90 days on the job.
For example, in the first 30 days you might need to learn the systems of that company. In the next 30 days you might expand your knowledge base, so that in the last 30 days you can take steps to be fully functional and effective in your new role. You might even have plans to start a new project or land a new customer. Each plan should be tailored to the individual job.
Here’s a list of articles you can go to for more information about 30-60-90-Day Plans:
Best Guide to Writing a 30-60-90-Day Plan
30-60-90-Day Plans Show Your Value in the Interview
How to Make a 30-60-90-Day Plan
7 Reasons a 30-60-90-Day Plan Will Get You Hired
Peggy,
I presented my 30-60-90 day plan today in my round 2 face-to-face to the HR Director and CFO —with an attitude of “act like it’s impossible to fail.” This approach is like gold–that differentiates and accelerates the process. It separates the wheat from the chaff so to speak. The plan’s input came from the job description and online information that provided insight and interest. By the way, the plan matched the overall strategic approach mentioned in the book “Traction” by Gino Wickman. People might say I got lucky today–I’ll answer that I’m lucky I’m not lazy. The other thing is I felt in control and key takeaways evaporated any trick questions. In the end I found out I was a good fit, understood the forward process, and got a definite timeline for candidate selection.