If you search online for a ‘good 30 60 90 day plan,’ you’ll find a lot of bad advice and bad plans. Plans that are too short, too long, or not detailed enough can hurt you instead of help you in the interview. As a recruiter and career coach, I’ve worked with thousands of job seekers and hiring managers over 20 years to refine and perfect these plans for job search success. So what does a good 30 60 90 day plan really look like?
It’s 3 pages (plus a cover page)
For your first interview, your plan needs to be 3 pages long. Each page covers a 30-day section of your plan: the first 30 days, the next 30 days (the 60-day section), and the last 30 days (the 90-day section.) Fewer pages means your plan won’t be detailed enough. More pages than this means your plan probably is more about you than about what you can do for the company.
It’s organized into bullet points or outline form
Just like your resume, your 90-day plan should never use paragraphs. Both of these important job search documents must be easy to read and digest. That means you need to deliver your information with eye-catching bullet points (or an outline) instead of bulky paragraphs. This format will make it much easier to present in the interview, too.
It’s customized for that interview with that company
A generic plan won’t help you. Your plan should be filled with carefully researched details about that company. (See how to research information for your plan.)
It does take some time and effort to find these details, but the wow factor you’ll have will be so worth it. Also, your interview answers will be exponentially stronger and more effective as a result.
The sections make sense
Most plans utilize a timeline that generally works for all jobs. The first 30 days typically focus on getting your bearings and meeting everyone. The next 30 days look at what you’ll do to expand your knowledge and presence. In the last 60 days (the 90-day section), most people are actively contributing, initiating projects, making changes, etc. (Read more about what goes in each 30-day section here.)
If you know your job requires a faster or slower time frame, then adjust your plan accordingly. What matters is that your plan demonstrates how you will approach this role and be successful in it.
A very good 30 60 90 Day Plan practically done for you
Don’t waste time or miss out on a job offer with a bad plan!
Based on my experience working with thousands of successful job seekers across industries at every level, I’ve developed 4 different 30-60-90 day plans guaranteed to work for you.
Each 30 60 90 day plan includes a fill-in-the-blank template and detailed video coaching to research and customize the plan for your job interview. Explore our plans here:
- For all white-collar jobs, use my Action Plan
- In a sales role? Use my Sales Plan
- Interviewing for a management role? Use the 30-60-90-Day Plan for Managers
- If you’ll be in the C-Suite or Director’s chair, you need my 30-60-90-Day Plan for Executives
We want your success—so, we’ve added an optional plan review for you. Send your completed plan to me and I’ll review it for you (with feedback) at no extra charge.
Get your plan and get your job today!