After months of looking for work, you’ve finally landed a great new job. Now what? First, congratulate yourself on making it through what probably was a grueling recruitment process. The employer picked you from all the other candidates. You obviously made a good impression and people believe you have what it takes to do the job. Now it’s time to get to work making sure you live up to your new employers’ expectations!

Specifically, make a plan for your first 100 days in office and then execute your plan with intelligence and passion. Since you are the rookie, all eyes will be on you. This is why you need to be especially at the top of your game during the first 100 days of your new job. Make sure you display a positive attitude, take initiative, find ways to keep learning, look for opportunities to showcase your unique talents and skills, and remain highly motivated.

The first 100 days plan

The plan should include specific accomplishments and objectives, along with a detailed description of the measurements and milestones you will use to measure your progress. Breakout the goals you’d like to achieve in the first 100 days and measure them every day.  The plan should be performance-based and showcase your skills and talents.    Rely on a mentor to keep you on pace with your goals. Your mentor could be your friend, colleague or significant other.

To ensure your plan will be successful have definite objectives and keep them transparent.  Keep in mind this plan reflects on you and not others.  Define what you want and when you want it, but always be mindful of the importance of earning your place within the company. Regardless of how you got in the door, always strive to be worthy of your position and never fall victim to “entitlement” traps in your career.  Entitlement attitudes are the pink slip waiting to happen, even for the president of the United States.

Presidents always have understood the importance of a strong start. President Obama’s first 100 days in office were focused on achieving early success by providing immediate economic relief, as well as setting a foundation for long-term reform in America.  The same strategy also was used by an earlier U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt.  During President Obama’s and Roosevelt’s first 100 days both showed tremendous poise, exuded optimism and instilled confidence through their attitudes and persona. 

So take a lesson from the Oval Office as you develop and execute your plan by including your attitude.  Having a positive attitude and one that displays gratitude to your employer will help you achieve your goals. In today’s economic market, your expectations might include what you bring to the job that will provide immediate relief to the company (i.e. more sales, more efficient operating system or perhaps motivating and leading others).  If you believe your unique talents and skills can be put to work immediately, put it in your plan and prove it in the first 100 days.

Executing your plan with a sense of urgency and passion will gain the positive attention of others and assist you in accomplishing your objectives and goals. One of the rewards for accomplishing your goals may include the fact that you do feel like you “fit in” and that you have earned your place in the company. 

Included in my personal plan are these two critical words:  “Take Initiative” (I miss 100 percent of the shots I never take).  I measure this goal every week by writing down what action I took at work that defined me for taking initiative.  The point with this goal is to always remind myself that no matter what personal challenges I may face in the first 100 days, I need to be as proactive as possible in order to expect positive results. 

Your plan also should include learning or education. This can be as simple as asking questions, reading industry-trade publications, being open to all training opportunities and not being afraid to fail in your first 100 days.  If you are not succeeding, go practice, tweak your plan and try again.  Remember, you are the newbie and most employers expect you to occasionally fumble and get scratched up a bit.  Good employers will respect you more for how you solved your challenges than what led to you to fail in the first place; just don’t repeat the same mistakes.

Finally, figure out whatever it takes for you to keep the fire in your belly burning. Staying excited about your work is a key to success.