The First 90 Days

During your first few months in a new position, you will obviously want to manage your workload carefully, but downtime provides good opportunities for the following activities, all of which are intended to shore you up when your next job loss occurs:

• Network actively with your new fellow employees (i.e., build and expand the "safety net").
• Manage your new relationships; nurture them with the idea that they will lead you to others and in all cases, connect with them on LinkedIn.
• Check Indeed.com regularly to see what kinds of opportunities are out there even though you are temporarily secure.
• Explore the “Hidden Job Market” to gather business intelligence, discover market conditions, spot trends in your industry, and so on.
  

Here is what you need to understand about the first few months in your new job. I’m presenting it as it was shared with me during a training conference call by a member who not only mastered the methodology, mind-set, networking machinery and value proposition but who also understood the extraordinary value of keeping those processes going after he landed his new position.

“The first 90 days are all about securing the first year. In any new position, it’s important, as CEOs, not just to meet expectations, but to exceed expectations.”

“But if I abandon my networking activities just because I’ve landed, I’m taking myself out of the very loop that got me here in the first place: my trusted contacts in the Warm, Trusted Network. It took me a long time to build that network; why would I want to let go of it now, especially when most business and economic trends show that a majority of people will go through a job search roughly once every three years? What if I have to re-engage my network unexpectedly?”

“Naturally no one should give their new responsibilities a lower priority than networking. But all of this has to be put in perspective: Most of us, in the course of a business day, have at least some free time, time to just rest and recharge the batteries. That free time can still be thoroughly enjoyable if you meet some people in the cafeteria and share information, ideas, and opinions. You’re still networking; it’s just that you’re assigning it a different “rotation” in your business day.”

There’s another point to consider, and it’s important. Even after being hired by your target company, you are still (and will remain) the CEO of ME, Inc. In that lifelong position, you must not relinquish the duties of managing your career. You don’t STOP being the CEO of ME, Inc. just because you’ve accepted a position and now have a new title. Your real title remains — the CEO of ME, Inc. The only real difference will be how well you strike a balance between managing your new client’s responsibilities and the overarching responsibilities for your CEO of ME, Inc. enterprise.

Where the Focus Needs to Be

Here are the guidelines I believe will help you as you begin your tenure at your new position:
1. Focus on these three goals to help you adjust successfully:
a) Keep a positive attitude;
b) Project a professional, competent image; and
c) Be a good team player.

2. Learn about the company and culture, work efficiently, be dependable, focus on people, and prepare for evaluation.

3. Be a good communicator, manage yourself, build a network, and demonstrate maturity.

4. Be a high-quality, top producer and a problem solver; learn to adapt to and manage change, be flexible.

5. Take on new challenges, broaden your skills and knowledge, seek a mentor, develop expertise, keep your portfolio current, network constantly, and increase your visibility.

6. Keep your job search network active and maintain your ME, Inc. business model:
a) Secure a job/business where passion and income intersect
b) Build a trusted personal network of 200+ people
c) Create a career backup plan
d) Generate multiple sources of income (not in conflict with the primary source)
e) Become a networking leader