Starting Strong - First 90 days in a new job 

Starting a new role is so exciting but can sometimes feel like a whirlwind—there’s so much to take in, from getting across the brand to remembering names, systems, and multiple logins. It’s easy to feel like your first few weeks are all about onboarding, without any real wins under your belt. That’s why we’ve broken it down into a simple 30-60-90 day plan—to help you settle in, make an impact early, get aligned on your KPIs, and feel a sense of achievement from day one. 



First 30 Days: Learn & Align 

Your first month is about absorbing as much as you can —understanding the business, key stakeholders, processes —so you can confidently lay the groundwork for future success. 

• Understand the business – get comfortable with asking questions! 
  Dive into the company’s vision, values, and goals. Get familiar with key business processes, product offerings, and target audiences. 

👉 Agency-side marketers: Immerse yourself in your client’s industry—understand the competitive landscape, how different brands in the sector are positioned. Knowing your clients’ business inside out will help you deliver more strategic, impactful work.
👉 In-house marketers: Focus on aligning with internal stakeholders and understanding long-term brand goals. Get clarity around marketings’ contribution to the wider business strategy & vision 

• Meet your stakeholders 
  Identify key internal and external stakeholders who are crucial to your role. Where appropriate, set up 1:1 meetings to get to know them, understand their priorities and how you can best collaborate. Remember to write things down, you never know what you might need to refer to later. 

👉 Agency-side marketers: Prioritise building relationships with clients early -
understanding their goals, pain points, and expectations will help set you up for success.
👉 In-house marketers: Get to know cross-functional teams such as sales, product, operations to understand how marketing fits into the bigger picture. 

• Review existing work 
  Familiarise yourself with past and current campaigns or projects. What’s working well? What could be improved? What’s been successful? Understand how success is currently measured. 

👉 Agency-side marketers: Review your agency’s recent client campaigns—what approaches worked well? What feedback has been received? Understanding this will help you hit the ground running.
👉 In-house marketers: Look at brand performance data, audience segments, channel mix, and competitor activity to get a full picture of the business landscape. 

60 Days: Contribute & Strategise 

Now, the next 60 days are all about growing your skills and capabilities whilst aligning on expectations. This phase is crucial in making an impact in your new job and aligning with  

management on where your focus should be. With a solid understanding of the business, it’s time to add value and position yourself for long-term success. 

• Identify quick wins 
  Look for opportunities to make an immediate impact—whether that’s streamlining a process, optimising an approach, or strengthening a client relationship. Communicate with your manager to understand key priorities and ensure your focus areas align. 
  

👉 Agency-side marketers: You might be focused on nailing execution of multiple campaigns whilst driving deeper relationships with a few key clients.
👉 In-house marketers: You could optimise an ongoing campaign, introduce a new content pillar, or refine reporting dashboards. 

• Build relationships 
  Continue to proactively engage with your team, clients, and leadership. Understanding how different departments work, communicate, collaborate – and potentially what their expectations are of your role, will help you integrate more effectively. 
  
• Seek feedback 
  Request feedback from your manager, peers, or clients to ensure you’re on the right track and adjusting where needed. Ask for time in your manager’s diary, letting them know you’d like to discuss whether they’re happy or if there’s anything you could be doing differently. This will help you course-correct early. 

• Deepen your knowledge 
  In the next 30 days it’s important to ensure you have all the basics down pat, so work with your manager to ensure you’re provided any additional training. 

👉 Agency-side marketers: If there’s a key person on your account you haven’t worked with yet, make it a priority to gain exposure or reach out for a 1:1 if appropriate.
👉 In-house marketers: If you haven’t had exposure to certain products, teams, or systems, now’s the time to fill in those gaps. 

90 Days: Lead & Optimise 

By the end of 90 days, you should feel confident in your role and ready to drive results. 

• Own a project 
  Take full ownership of a campaign, client account, or key initiative. Ensure your contributions align with business objectives, your KPIs and demonstrate measurable success. 

👉 Agency-side marketers: This could mean leading a client presentation or managing a project from start to finish.
👉 In-house marketers: It might involve owning a brand initiative, launching a new campaign to market, or driving strategic recommendations for future activity. 

• Evaluate & report back 
  Use data and insights to assess the impact of your work. Share key learnings with your team and suggest improvements to enhance efficiency and performance. 

👉 Agency-side marketers: How have your client campaigns performed? What insights can you apply to future work?
👉 In-house marketers: How has your marketing strategy impacted business goals? What adjustments can be made for stronger results? 

• Plan for growth 
  Set professional development goals for the next quarter—whether that’s upskilling, mentoring a junior team member, or leading a new initiative. 

• Stay engaged 
  Continue to check in with your manager, team and recruiter if you worked with one. If challenges arise, lean on them for support and guidance.

Your Recruiter is Here to Help 

Throughout your first 90 days, your recruiter is a valuable resource. Regular check-ins provide an opportunity to discuss any concerns, seek confidential advice, and navigate challenges effectively. If something isn’t working, be honest—it’s better to address issues early so we can help you find solutions. 

Success in your first 90 days isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Listen, contribute and you’ll position yourself as a valued member of the team. Stay curious, proactive, and open to feedback, and you’ll set the foundation for long-term success in your new role.