Starting out in your new Tech role? Top 5 things to do in your first 3 months.

Starting in a new role in a Tech company for the first time can be both exciting and somewhat overwhelming. This is because onboarding into a Tech company can come with specificities and nuances that sometimes go unsaid. Your first three months are crucial for setting the tone with your new team and establishing yourself as someone who can deliver value for the team and the company.

So, I’ve decided to compile a list of top 5 things I believe you need to do when starting in a new role within a Tech Startup:

1. Understanding your team’s Key Performance Metrics

Tech startups are all about delivering value for end-users (and investors). To do this, startups tend to have a keen focus on chasing and delivering on Key Performance Metrics (KPIs) that ensure that the company is driving towards providing this value. KPIs can range from the product level, team level, region level, and more. Some examples of important company metrics include new user acquisition, user retention rates, and no. of active users.

To set yourself up for success in your new role, it’s crucial that you get familiar with key metrics and how your team and your function supports reaching those goals. The sooner you do this, the sooner you’ll be able to get involved in, put forward, and even drive high-impact work within your team. Doing this can also help you remain focused and be more discerning when deciding which projects to get involved in and how to make good use of your time.

2. Secure quick wins

Let’s face it, the world of tech is pretty competitive, and getting into your new job was only your first hurdle. Your next challenge is to start strategising on how you will deliver value for your team and your customers. This next step in your onboarding is important because Tech companies are all about showing that you are a self-starter and can get in, roll up your sleeves and get to work.

A great first place to start is to look to secure a few quick wins. A quick win is any project or work that would be a low effort for you to execute but would have a high impact on team or company metrics. An example of a quick win would be something you’ve built before that you feel confident you could execute in your new company with relative ease. 

Overall, delivering on quick wins in your first few months will help you build your confidence for more challenging tasks and showcase your self-starter, solutions-oriented mindset.

3. Understand & get aligned with the company’s values

Culture is a central part of the startup experience. Tech companies pride themselves on building strong company cultures and values that contribute to goal attainment. So in your first few months, you should take note of the ways of working within your organisation and do your best to participate and contribute.

A few ways to do this include:

• attending learning and sharing sessions;

• Sharing your fun fact when asked (no matter how embarrassing this might be); and

• Getting involved in the various outreach and culture initiatives within the company. 

Essentially, be a team player! You’ll enjoy your time at the company more and build your social capital while you’re at it.

4. Get Organised

Starting in your new role can be more challenging based on whether the company is a matrix organisation (check out my article on surviving matrix organisations here). A matrix organisation is a company structure where individuals can report to multiple leaders within multiple different teams. 

A first step towards thriving in matrix companies is to focus on getting yourself organised. Getting organised will allow you to sift through the noise and identify critical work areas to focus on within the different teams you’ll be a part of.

Getting organised can include setting up weekly syncs with your multiple managers to discuss upcoming priorities and establishing ways of working, cadences, and processes that might not have existed before you arrived. It can also include agreeing on a 90-day plan with your manager to outline what you need to achieve in your first three months. It can even involve something as simple as agreeing on which days your team works in the office and which days your team works from home.

Whichever it may be, getting organised is an essential first step toward setting clear and measurable goals for yourself within the company. 

Overall, all I’m saying is underestimate getting organised at your peril.

5. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

A critical part of securing success in your new role is communicating! It is vital to keep communication lines open between your manager and yourself so that you know and understand what your manager expects of you. It’s also crucial that they know how to support you as you ramp up into your new role. 

If you don’t understand an abbreviation that the team uses constantly? Ask. Having trouble understanding how your role aligns with that of another team member? Set up a meeting with your manager or the other team member and ask. Feel that what is expected of you can’t be delivered within the time frame you might have initially agreed? Communicate that as soon as possible so that you manage your stakeholder’s expectations and they can make alternative plans.

Communication is critical in those first few months because it helps build positive work relationships, establish boundaries, and ensure continued alignment on desired outcomes.

Conclusion

Overall, use your first few months wisely. Set the tone for the impact you plan on delivering, get involved, and enjoy the ride!

End.

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