The story goes that you’ve got the mail and as you read it said, “Congratulations. We’re proud to welcome you as the newest member of our team..” Finally, you got the job! And your first 90 days at work will be coming up soon. The next question is, how do you prepare yourself on those first critical days? Why is it critical? Before we get into that, let’s review one of the things that might help you succeed in your job application.
You probably have read about how important it is to ask questions in an interview on our previous blog post. If you haven’t, kindly check them out later for the list of questions! Anyways, chances are you’ve applied that strategy to your successful job interview. Well done. We can all agree that the culture to aim questions back to our interviewer is likely not a studied method in our school curriculum. For those of you who still haven't ask questions in your interviews, don’t get discouraged. Our previous guest speakers on our webinar session, Berto and Fara, suggest that you should at least prepare 3-5 questions while aiming for two questions at a minimum. Also, be yourself and use your own language rather than focusing on any question templates. The bottom line is to get used to asking questions whenever you have a certain genuine thought. No interviewer is gonna bite ya.
Now, back to the question, “How do you prepare your first 90 days at work?” As it happened, we chose to talk about this specific topic in our last webinar session. Your first 90 days at work is the time where some people call the probation phase. The first 90 days are critical because this is the stage where you’ll learn how well you’re able to adapt and execute in your new role and environment. This “free trial” time might raise questions such as, “Is it my kind of environment?”, “What steps can I take in this role?”, “Is this job is the right fit for me?”. There’s nothing wrong with having those kinds of thoughts as long as you’re willing to learn and try to adapt well into the workforce.
Talking about adaptation, our guest speaker, Berto, told us how adaptation plays a meaningful role in his probation experience. In his first week, his boss wasn’t really told him what to do. He thought he should take some initiative. Thus, he started networking with his new coworkers up until he was able to assist his boss directly. Yup, anything can definitely happen in your first days at work, but no one can predict what will happen. Any tips on that?
Without a doubt, our tip to ease your transition in your new role is by making the 30-60-90-day plan. The 30-60-90 day plan is the best practice for you to focus on the right direction, not a measure of success. There are four steps to make your 30-60-90 day plan. The first is to determine your specific focus in each month. For example,
The 1st month = Learning the skills and important things in your new role
The 2nd month = Planning and beginning to contribute on the job
The 3rd month = Execution
Someone once asked, “Can’t we just execute our work straight away in the first month? Why do we need to wait until in the third month?” Well, some people may find it easy to adapt to the workforce, but mostly, we need constant discipline and hard work to develop a new habit— in this case, our new role in the job. There’s a myth saying that we need 21 days to form ourselves a new habit. But recent studies show that it actually takes a little more than two months until we’re able to develop a habit truly. So, we suggest it is better to prepare your execution when you’ve learned and been exposed to new habits from the professionals and set your mind to the goals that you’ve planned in the next 90 days ahead.
According to Berto, your probation phase depends on how your recruiter or supervisor train the way you work. So, enhance your adaptive skill is definitely a thumbs up. Knowing how to manage yourself in workplace situations is also important, such as whether you prefer to work alone or in a team. Read our recent blog post about how to manage yourself in reaching your professional goals.
The probation phase will also reveal your compatibility with the job. If you think the job seemingly doesn’t fit into your career path or the environment doesn’t go along well with you, it’s okay not to persist in staying at a place that won’t help you grow. Although there might be consequences for employers who choose to resign while still on their probation phase. Based on our government regulations, there are no ties or rules throughout the probation period. But if you feel like you’re unfit for the job, you must always communicate to your supervisor several days before deciding to resign. Because some companies we know may ask you to pay for a compensatory, especially those who have attended training programs that were provided by the company while still on probation. However, it depends on the company too.
It is important to communicate your concerns to your previous company if you want to make a career move. Make sure to complete your previous contract before moving on to a new one. Don't let it overlap, and do a double-check to avoid any future conflicts. Besides that, ensure there’ll be no employment gap because your recruiter in the future may ask you thereupon. For the closing statements, we summed up three points from our speakers on our last webinar. Here, we’d like to break it down for you.
For those of you who had found your career path, keep aiming for your dream! Prepare yourself by asking lots of questions to the professionals and the most important thing is to be genuine with yourself. — Fara
Those of you who had recently graduated and still haven't found a job, don't be afraid to try new things outside your comfort zone. It's okay to switch jobs while looking for a more stable job. The key is to adapt! — Berto
And for those of you who have no clue: just keep swimming and drinking! There are no right or wrong questions in this professional world. The more you expose yourself to the professionals, the more you’ll know what to do. — Ayu
Best of luck on your first 90 days at work! Follow us on Instagram @baikgp & @ayureadypodcast for the latest update on our upcoming webinars and subscribe to read more blog posts about career developments.