first 90 days | new job onboarding | probation period | managing up | 30-60-90 day plan | mentoring | career growth
What You Will Learn:
- Build your own 30-60-90 day plan with checkpoints at day 1, 7, 30, 60 and 90
- Work out what you are actually being measured on before the first review, not after it
- Manage upward: give your manager the reporting they want without being asked twice
- Ask for what a proper onboarding includes — a mentor, a day-30 conversation, a written scope
- Close the probation period on evidence rather than on impressions
- Find a mentor, set the rules of the relationship, and know when to end it
- Move from proving yourself to delivering more than you consume, and do it early
- Learn alongside 1.6 million Mike Pritula students from 185 countries
- Get the experience of an instructor who designed onboarding systems at Preply, Wargaming, iDeals and Alfa-Bank
- Build a personal onboarding system that turns early uncertainty into visible evidence of progress
Alright, let’s talk about that nerve-wracking, exhilarating, and frankly, often messy experience of starting a new gig. I recently wrapped up the ‘Starting a New Job: Onboarding and Your First 90 Days [EN]’ course, and I’ve got some thoughts. As someone who’s navigated my fair share of tech roles, from junior dev to team lead, I’m always on the lookout for resources that can cut through the usual BS and deliver actionable advice. This course promised exactly that, and for the most part, it delivered.
Overview
This isn’t your typical “how to write a thank-you note” kind of onboarding course. The instructor, a seasoned pro with experience designing onboarding systems for some pretty big names (think Preply, Wargaming – yes, that Wargaming), dives deep into building a robust, personal onboarding system. The core idea is to move beyond simply surviving your probation period and instead actively engineer your early success. It’s about turning that initial “what the heck am I doing?” feeling into tangible proof of your value. The emphasis on a structured 30-60-90 day plan isn’t just a buzzword; it’s presented as a strategic roadmap with specific checkpoints designed to gather data and build a case for your performance, rather than just relying on your manager’s gut feeling. This felt like a significant departure from other courses I’ve seen that skirt the edges of this critical phase.
Prerequisites
Honestly, the prerequisites are pretty minimal. If you can read English and you’re about to, or have recently, started a new job, you’re good to go. While the course itself doesn’t assume prior knowledge of specific industry-standard tools or deep technical expertise, having some general understanding of a professional work environment would be beneficial. It’s not designed as a certification prep course in a specific technology, but rather a guide for navigating the professional landscape within any tech role.
Skills & Tools
The skills you’ll develop here are less about mastering a specific programming language or hands-on labs and more about soft skills, strategic thinking, and professional communication. You’ll learn to:
- Develop a structured 30-60-90 day plan with defined checkpoints.
- Effectively manage upward by understanding and meeting your manager’s reporting needs.
- Identify and articulate what a proper onboarding experience should entail, including mentorship and clear scope.
- Gather evidence to close your probation period successfully, moving beyond subjective impressions.
- Find, establish, and manage mentorship relationships for optimal career growth.
- Shift from a “proving” mindset to one of delivering value consistently.
While there are no specific job-ready skills in terms of coding, the course equips you with the strategic skills to *demonstrate* those skills effectively from day one.
Career Benefits & Job Roles
The benefits here are immediate and long-term. For anyone entering a new role, especially in the competitive tech sector, successfully navigating the first 90 days is paramount. This course directly addresses that. It’s invaluable for beginner to advanced professionals alike, whether you’re a software engineer, a data analyst, a project manager, or any other role where performance in the initial period significantly impacts your trajectory. The ability to proactively manage your onboarding and demonstrate impact early can accelerate your career growth, lead to better performance reviews, and even influence future opportunities and salary negotiations.
Pros
- Actionable Framework: This course provides a concrete, step-by-step system for managing your first 90 days. It’s not vague advice; it’s a blueprint you can immediately implement.
- Focus on Evidence: The emphasis on closing probation with tangible evidence rather than impressions is a game-changer. It empowers you to control the narrative around your performance.
- Real-World Expertise: The instructor’s background in designing onboarding systems for major companies lends significant credibility and ensures the advice is practical and proven.
- Proactive Approach: It shifts you from a passive recipient of onboarding to an active architect of your initial success, which is crucial in today’s fast-paced environments.
Cons
If I had to pick one honest con, it’s that the course is heavily focused on the *process* of onboarding and demonstrating value. While it touches on the importance of learning technical skills, it doesn’t actually teach you them. You’re expected to arrive with your foundational knowledge. So, if you’re looking for a course that teaches you specific industry-standard tools or deep dives into technical concepts, this isn’t it. It’s a strategy course for *leveraging* the skills you already have or are acquiring elsewhere.
Overall, for anyone looking to make a strong, positive, and lasting impression in a new job, this course is an excellent investment. It’s about playing the long game from day one.