business plan for interview

One of the best ways to stand out in your interview is to create a 90-day business plan (also called a 30-60-90-day plan) to show employers how you’ll help them in the first three months on the job.

Having a plan to learn the job and succeed quickly is going to set you apart from other candidates and make you more attractive to employers.

Let’s look at how to create a plan that will land you the job…

How to Create a 90-Day Business Plan for Job Interviews

I recommend splitting your 90-day business plan into three sections: 0-30 days, 30-60 days, and 60-90 days.

So we’ll actually be creating a 30-60-90 day plan.

We’ll divide it into three periods, and you’ll outline different goals and milestones for each of the first three months.

I’ll help you do this below.

If you prefer to lump everything together into a single 90-day period, that’s fine too.

What to Write About in Your 30-60-90 Day Business Plan

In your business plan, you want to show the interviewer the following:

• You understand what the job involves
• You’re capable of quickly learning and performing the job duties
• You’re motivated to learn and do the work
• How you plan on learning and succeeding. Which specific steps will you take to reach your goals?

So let’s look at each 30-day period now, and what should go into each…

The First 30 Days

In the first part of your business plan, you’ll want to focus on training/learning.

The company likely has a training program (if you’re not sure, this is a good question to ask in the interview ).

So what is your plan to make the most of their training, and get up to speed quickly?

This could include reviewing and studying at home each night for the first week, staying 30 minutes late to review what you learned each day, finding a teammate to have lunches with, or finding a fellow new hire to review with (if you’re in a training class with multiple people).

Other things to talk about in the first part of your plan:

• How will you learn about the company’s products/services ?
• If you’re new to this industry, how will you learn the industry/market overall?
• How will you learn this company’s systems and procedures? (They might have an employee booklet you can review, so include some time to review this in the first 30-day period of your business plan.

Your goal in this section is to show them you have a detailed plan and a lot of motivation to learn the basics of the job and understand how they operate quickly.

The Next 30 Days

The next 30 days should focus on how you’ll learn and improve by “doing”.

By now, you should be able to start using what you’ve learned to perform some of the job duties on your own.

You might be interacting with team members, customers, etc. (this will depend on your specific position)

And while learning is still a focus here, you want to show them that you plan on being ready to work hands-on and learn in a real-world environment.

Also, a big part of this section should be getting feedback from your manager to see how you’re progressing.

What is your plan for checking in, receiving and organizing feedback, and using it to improve?

Most new employees wait for their manager to set up a meeting to review their performance…

Show the interviewer that you’re different – that you’ll take initiative and be responsible for this yourself.

Employers love when a job candidate seems proactive and self-starting.

The Final 30 Days

In the final 30 days of your 90-day plan, you want to show the interviewer that you’ll be ready to use everything you’ve learned to work independently.

You’ll be up-to-speed, contributing to the team’s efforts, and not requiring any more supervision/help than anyone else on the team.

You may also want to talk about ways you’ll go above and beyond the basic job duties now.

This could include looking for processes that can be improved, finding new ways to help the company get more customers, etc.

Also, you can still include steps for getting feedback and continuing to improve.

But it should be less of a focus here. The main focus now should be on contributions, independent work, and “taking off” with what you’ve learned.

What will you be able to do for them? What will you be contributing after 90 days?

Using S.M.A.R.T. Goals

When talking about a specific goal or objective in your 90-day job interview plan, try to use SMART goals whenever possible.

SMART goals are:

Saying, “I plan on being very good at serving customers after 90 days,” doesn’t say much.

However, it sounds a lot more impressive if you say something like, “At the 90-day mark, I plan on achieving 120% of the monthly goal for customer service calls taken, and I will achieve a customer satisfaction rating of 98% or greater.”

Using “Learning Goals” and “Performance Goals”

One strategy I’ve seen used very effectively is to divide your main goals for each 30-day period into two different categories: Learning Goals and Performance Goals.

You’ll have more Learning Goals than Performance Goals in the first 30-day period.

Then, as you move through the plan, you’ll gradually shift to having more Performance Goals, and fewer Learning Goals (but still some!)

You can also add one or two personal goals, such as having lunch with one new team member per week, or visiting the gym after work two nights per week to stay healthy.

Don’t worry if this sounds complicated. Coming up soon I’m going to show you a full example of a 90-day plan for your interview, that you can copy. 

And in that sample business plan, you’ll see the three different categories laid out (Learning Goals, Performance Goals, and Personal Goals).

Creating and Formatting Your 90-Day Plan

If you’re comfortable making a good-looking document in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or some other word-processing software, feel free to use that to create your 30-60-90 day business plan.

Otherwise, I’d recommend using Canva.com .

The website has great templates for creating a PDF, and it’s free to use. I use it myself for creating images and PDF guides for this blog .

Make it EASY to Skim and Read

I’d keep the whole document to 1-2 pages maximum.

It’s an outline/presentation, not an essay. 

Try to avoid long paragraphs and giant blocks of text with no spacing.

Make it skimmable and easy to read.

Use headers, bullets, etc.

Here’s a full example of how you might lay out your 90-day plan…

30-60-90 Day Plan Template/Example:

0-30 Days: (Write your main focus and objective here. The priority should be learning and getting up to speed on the basics as quickly as possible. What will you need to learn to perform well in the job, and how will you learn it?) Learning Goals: Learn the company’s entire product offering Study the top 3 competitors’ product offerings to understand strengths/weaknesses Review training manual, and bring any questions to direct supervisor before the end of month 1 Listen to at least 4 sales calls per week with senior team members Learn all industry terminology so I’ll be ready to communicate effectively with prospects and customers Meet with supervisor at the end of each week to discuss progress, questions, and results achieved Performance Goals: Score 100% on the training manual examination on week 3 Personal Goals: Get coffee with each team member before the end of the first month 30-60 Days: (Write your main focus for the next 30 day period here. You should still be learning, but the focus now shifts to taking what you’ve learned and using it in the real world. You want to start doing the work and learning through experience). Learning Goals: Continue listening to 4 sales calls per week with senior team members Find team members to listen to at least 10 of my sales calls per week and provide feedback Meet with supervisor twice per week to ensure I continue learning and progressing as quickly as possible. This will include reviewing my sales call results and the tactics I’m using and working on as I listen to team members Take one free LinkedIn Learning course to improve my sales skills outside of work hours Performance Goals: Conduct a minimum of 12 sales calls per day Convert one sales call per week into a customer Qualify leads and do thorough research of potential clients before calling, so that at least 80% of prospects I speak with are fully-qualified for our products Follow up with each potential prospect/lead within four business days of initial conversation Personal Goals: Have at least two lunches with Supervisors or Team Leaders from other departments to grow my network and better understand how other areas of the organization work. 60-90 Days: (Now you’ll want to show that you’re ready to produce at a high level and be a valuable member of the team. Your learning is never fully done, but this section should talk far less about learning, and really focus on demonstrating what you’ll DO for the employer after 90 days on the job.) Learning Goals: Meet with supervisor once per week to track progress and continue learning sales tactics Performance Goals: Conduct a minimum of 25 outbound sales calls per day Convert 4 sales calls per week into customers Qualify leads and do thorough research of potential clients before calling, so that at least 90% of prospects I speak with are fully-qualified for our products Ask for referrals after each completed sale, and/or after determining a sale is not going to occur. Goal: Obtain five qualified referrals per week and contact each referral within 24 hours. Personal Goals: Join the gym and go every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for one hour minimum.

You can alter this example however you want. This is just one way to set up your 30-60-90 day plan for a job interview.

If you invest the time into creating a plan like this, it will make you stand out and will boost your chances of receiving a job offer.

And once you’ve created a template for yourself, you can re-use it for multiple interviews by changing the basic details to match each job.

How and When to Show Interviewers Your 90-Day Plan

The best time to mention your 90-day plan is at the beginning of the interview.

As you sit down, mention that you brought it by saying something like this:

“By the way – I put together a 90-day plan demonstrating some of the ideas I had for what I could accomplish in the first 3 months in the role. Whenever you think it fits well into the conversation, I’d love to show you some of what I was thinking.”

Now they’re immediately impressed with your preparation and effort, and they can decide whether they want to look at it immediately or discuss your 90-day plan later in the interview.

Either way, you won’t have to constantly think about finding the right to mention it, and you’ll make a fantastic first impression to begin your interview. 

The “Hidden” Benefit of Creating a 30-60-90 Day Plan for Interviews

The steps and free template above involve some work, so you may be thinking, “Is it really worth creating my 30-60-90-day plan for my interview?”

In case you’re on the fence, here’s one of the biggest benefits that you may not have realized.

Creating your plan doesn’t just show hiring managers you’re motivated and ready to hit the ground running.

It also better prepares you for the interview, and for responding to all of the questions that they’re planning on asking you.

You can’t create a 90-day plan without researching the team and company, reviewing the job description, etc.

So you’re going to have a big advantage throughout the interview in terms of showing your new manager that you grasp the role and know what’s needed in the first 30 days, 60 days, and beyond.

You’ll be able to ask better and more unique questions in the interview , too. While other candidates are asking simple questions like, “What is the company’s mission?” or, “What are the typical working hours?” you can ask advanced questions like:

“As mentioned in my 90-day plan, I’d like to be able to contribute <key goal> within the first 60 days. To do that, I’ll need to absorb as much information as possible in my first month. Can you share a bit about what type of training is provided to new hires, and what type of feedback I’d get from my new manager and team as I learn the fundamentals in those first 30 days?”

The bottom line is:

By creating a 90-day plan for your job interview, you’ll not only impress the hiring manager with your effort, but you’ll also be much better prepared for the interview as a whole so that you can land a new job faster.

Employers will see that you’re focused on being a high performer when starting a new job and that you’re already well-informed about the role and their needs and ready to contribute at a high level as soon as you’re hired. This will impress any hiring manager.

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

4 thoughts on “Free 30-60-90 Day Plan Template for Interviews”

Thanks for the generous guidance. I have a job interview coming and they said they will send me the topic for creating a 30-60-90 plan the day before the interview, but never created one before, so this was very, very useful!

Is there a template please that you have

This is very timely information. I was asked to bring a 90 day plan to my face to face interview later this week. Thank you!!

Hello have you got an example of your presentation x

Comments are closed.

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Interviewing – how to write a business plan for a future employer

Simon Roderick February 18, 2020 Jobseeking and interview process , Resources for candidates

At some point in your career you will probably be asked to complete a business plan, as part of a recruitment process. Candidates are often surprised, or worried that their good ideas will be implemented without them being hired (this doesn’t happen in my experience). However, they can cause alarm, as some people are good at their job, which doesn’t involve writing plans, and if the task is expected to be delivered in person it can cause some people to get very stressed. So below we’ve tried to outline so practical steps you can take, as there’s no need to miss out on a dream job just because you don’t know where to start with a business plan.

• Ask the hirer what they expect Firms are happy to give guidelines and so ask them what format they prefer and the how long they expect the business plan to be. Will you be presenting the plan, will you be expected to leave it behind, or most likely is it just a discussion document? Feel free to ask what IT support will be provided if you’re expected to give a powerpoint presentation.
• Make the presentation visually attractive You need to engage the reader
• Spell check It’s so easy to forget to spell check your plan
• Ask someone you trust to review your business plan, or ask them if they would mind you running through your presentation
• Arrive early so you aren’t stressed Aim to arrive 30 minutes early and have a coffee nearby, but don’t go to the interviewer’s office until 10 minutes before. Arriving very early can sometimes be as irritating as someone who arrives late.

What should a business plan contain?

Everyone has their own thoughts on this, but some of the better business plans contain:

i. An executive summary – this summarises the applicant’s experience, career aims, and business aims if hired An example of this would be: “Simon has 20 years recruitment experience, much of it gained in management roles. His aim is to grow Fram over the next 3 years to xxx (you need to be realistic and specific with this aim)

ii. A description of the business you want to create, i.e. clients to be targeted and services offered with a target revenue

iii. A guide to how you plan to build this business, i.e. from your existing client base, from introductions from professional intermediaries, from the firm’s own sources of new business (this is often a client’s least favourite thing to see in the current climate).

iv. A guide to the activities required to achieve the above, i.e. not only what intermediaries you will target and how many relationships you have etc, but how many cold calls and appointments you will make. How often you will need to meet a client on average to get them to invest

v. Why the firm you are interviewing with could help you achieve this. What are the key selling points and differentiators.

vi. What support you will need. Will you need an assistant, additional training, or access to cold calling support?

vii. Financials – a breakdown of year 1, 2, and 3 revenues and the business mix, i.e. investments vs. lending if you are a private banker

viii. Referees – you list former colleagues etc, but only do this if you’re happy for them to be contacted. It demonstrates confidence and transparency

ix. Summary – reaffirming the skills of the candidate

We recommend sending a polite email after the meeting if the interviewer has given you their contacts details. It’s always nice to thank them for your time and it’s a chance to reaffirm your interest (if you are indeed interested in the role).

If you’re successful in the interview process, firms will expect you to implement the plan and so it needs to be realistic. It’s a nightmare for all parties concerned when someone over promises and under delivers. Whilst the firm will refine your plan once you have full knowledge of their aims and offering, it can often form the basis of your first 12 months.

Good luck and if we can assist, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01525 864 372.

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Successful 30-60-90 day plan

Ivan Andreev

Demand Generation & Capture Strategist, Valamis

December 27, 2021 · updated April 2, 2024

17 minute read

A 30-60-90 day plan can help you prove to a new employer that you know your role within a new company. It demonstrates that you understand the position’s responsibilities and are prepared to tackle them, starting on day one.

A successful plan also helps you to better adapt to your new role and work environment.

What is a 30-60-90 day plan?

When to use a 30-60-90 day plan, benefits of a 30-60-90 day plan, 30-60-90 day plan template with example, 30-60-90 day plan example, tips for creating your own 30-60-90 day plan, 30-60-90 day plan tips for executives and managers.

A 30-60-90 day plan is a formalized document containing intents, goals, and actions that a new employee plans to execute to maximize his efficiency in a new role.

A 30-60-90 day plan can be used in any position or company.

For a regular employee, a 30-60-90 day plan is a way to show the interviewer that you know what to do and have a plan for this new role . It is a type of preparation that a prospective employee might opt to create before their interview, or it might be something an interviewer requests applicants to create.

For executive positions, the purpose of the plan is the same, the only difference is the scale of the plan, or the department level that it would apply to. A prospective manager would prepare the plan to show what they will do to succeed in the role.

The plan should demonstrate that new employees are able to set goals that are in line with the company vision.

This plan is ideal for those who are seeking to make a strong positive impression during an interview.

It demonstrates what you will bring to the job, highlights your seriousness about the position, and shows that your goals dovetail with those of the company.

No matter the level of the role, a strong 30-60-90 day plan can be an asset during the interview process.

Regular level employees can show the value that they will bring to the team, and higher level employees can demonstrate how their leadership will create positive effects within their team or department.

Many hiring managers want to see that their new hires are serious about their jobs and career. This plan gives insight into how a new hire plans to fulfill the goals of their new role, their understanding of various processes and how they tackle challenges.

While it is most commonly used for those who are beginning new positions, it can also be used to work on a new project. The same template can be helpful to set actionable goals and achieve them in regards to a new project that you are working on.

Career development plan template

This template helps employees and bosses plan together for career growth: set goals, assess skills, and make a plan.

A 30-60-90 day plan is a helpful tool for both the candidate and the organization.

When a candidate writes a good plan, they demonstrate competency, while potentially impressing hiring managers.

The organization can then use the plan to judge the potential candidate for suitability within the role, department or team.

Here are a few of the benefits of creating one:

1. Increased chances of being hired

Because you will be doing your homework before the interview, it proves that you are a committed team player.

This often impresses your interviewer and can give you a larger chance of being hired.

2. Positive impression on the interviewer

If you are a new employee or a potential hire, a 30-60-90 day plan can show to your employer that you know what you are doing. It demonstrates that you have a plan in place.

Prepare it prior to your interview even if your interviewer doesn’t request one.

3. Smooth onboarding

Starting a new job can be rough sometimes. A 30-60-90 day plan helps you to better integrate yourself into a new team and makes a smoother transition for you.

In creating this plan, you will have to research the role, the tasks you will be assigned, and set out plans for completing them.

In doing so, you’ll be formulating solutions, considering the best plan of attack, and gaining a deeper understanding of the job. This will help set you up for success from day one.

4. Increased productivity

Because you will have a clear goal to work toward in your first 90 days, you have better focus and increased productivity.

Each day, you should know exactly how your tasks fit into the bigger picture of your 30-60-90 day plan.

There are four key areas that should be included in your 30-60-90 day plan:

• Personal goals
• Actions and metrics

In each phase of your plan, you should have something that you are focused on learning.

This might mean meeting with your team to understand their pain points. It might mean learning the ins and outs of your company’s product to make better sales pitches.

Particularly in the first 30 day phase, you should be doing a great deal of learning.

This is part of your plan that should start to take shape. In what areas can you improve performance (either your own or the company’s)?

This should help you to better align your personal responsibilities with the mission of the team you work with.

Start to narrow down what the priority is so that you can better set personal goals in the next section.

This is the best place to mark down exactly what you want to accomplish.

Make sure that you have some insight into your goals and why they are essential to achieve.

This helps to keep your focus clear and doesn’t allow you to lose sight of the company’s mission.

Action and metrics

This is the stage where you determine how you will measure your progress toward your goals.

How will you know when you have achieved a goal? It is important to have specific qualifying action steps behind each one of your goals so that you do not lose momentum.

• If you want to improve your sales pitch, then you might sit in on a sales call with a seasoned salesperson three times this week.
• If you want to reduce the budget, you might have a goal to spend 10 percent less on office supplies.

Whatever your goal is, you need to have an action step associated with it to help you measure your progress.

During the first thirty days in your new position, you spend as much time as possible learning about your company processes, your team, product or the services you sell. This might involve things like:

• Interviewing team members to assess their strengths
• Joining staff on sales calls to learn more about the product or service
• Interviewing customers to learn more about their needs
• Spending time with customer service to determine where your product or services fall short
• Pinpointing current goals and seeing if progress is being made
• Reviewing the budget

Once you have a firm grasp on who you are working with and how you are expected to perform, it is time to implement new aspects of your role.

For regular employees , the focus should be stepping more fully into your role. You have taken the time to learn what that role is, now you should be beginning to deliver results and reaching good working performance.

For higher level employees , like executives or managers, you will start setting new goals for your team. Create goals based on the information you learned during the first thirty days. This is the time for you to share your new goals with the team and start to hold them accountable for the changes.

Regardless of the level of your role, this is a time for you to set goals along with actionable steps you can take to achieve them.

All goals should be specific and measurable. You should also be able to achieve them within a specific timeframe.

TIP: Set a clear metric so you will know when you have achieved each goal.

For example, if your goal is to improve your sales pitch, you might have a metric of observing a more seasoned sales professional in a number of phone calls. You might also have them listen in on a few of your sales calls to offer constructive feedback .

As you move into the first ninety days of your position, you should be ensuring that your performance is in line with company goals and the goals for your specific role.

You should have a solid foundation of knowledge regarding your job, the ability to complete your tasks properly, and an understanding of how your performance helps the organization.

For employees, this is a prime moment to look towards leadership opportunities. Ask yourself ‘what path do I want to take with this organization?’ and begin to set yourself up for that journey. Take initiative and reach out to stakeholders who may be able to help you.

For management level employees, this is when you can start to make bigger changes. Look at the overall picture of your company or department and determine where changes can be made. Ensure that each team member is where they are supposed to be, review the budget, and replace ineffective processes with new ones.

Much like your goals set for the first sixty days, all goals here should still be measurable, time-bound, and specific. While this is bigger picture thinking, each goal should still be realistic and attainable.

While some hiring professionals will come directly out and ask you for a 30-60-90 day plan, many will not.

It is still an excellent idea to create one to show just how you will stand out in the workplace.

As you begin to write this plan, you should ask yourself: What changes would you make and how would you go about your new role in the first ninety days? This will help you create a solid plan that will impress hiring managers.

1. Identify the company’s mission

You can’t create a plan until you have a clear idea of what the company is looking for.

You should spend a great deal of time researching its mission, core values, and any information you can find on its current processes or products.

Each plan should be catered specifically to the culture of the company you are applying to work for.

2. Thoroughly understand the job description

You should tailor your plan to the position that you are applying for instead of overreaching your bounds.

You might have many ideas for the company as a whole, but pay careful attention to the job description.

• What is the role?
• What would your responsibilities be?
• What expectations does the company have?
• Is there a probation period?

3. Explain your plan thoroughly

When you head into an interview, you must prepare a copy of your 30-60-90 day plan.

It can be in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, slides, or paper.

However, you should do more than just slide it across the desk and hope that they understand it. Present it to the interviewer in detail.

4. Don’t be ashamed to brag

Present your plan in great detail.

When you discuss the goals you want to set, it is important to relate these goals to accomplishments you have had in the past.

What have you done that was similar at another company? Focus on your future at this new company but don’t forget about all of the amazing things you have done in the past!

5. Identify your priorities

Setting goals can be challenging if you aren’t aware of your priorities.

Why were you hired for this exact position? Maybe your goal is to solve a specific problem within the team, or perhaps you just need to be the best you can be with your current responsibilities.

Take a few moments to think about the bigger picture of what your job should look like, and then move forward from there.

6. Set measurable goals

All goals that make it onto your list should have a means for you to measure the outcome.

Make sure that you identify how you will measure success on each of the goals that you set.

Try to list quantitative data to support your goals, such as revenue increases, increased website views, and positive customer reviews.

7. Remember to course-correct

Sometimes, starting a new position or project can be overwhelming.

You might set up your plan with the best intentions, but things can change.

If a piece of your plan no longer seems relevant or helpful, it’s okay to have the flexibility to course-correct. Change up your goals if you need to.

8. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

You’ll never get to know your team members or your products unless you are willing to ask good questions.

Spend time with your interviewer or the company representative if they are eager to communicate with you.

Ask any questions you may have about your role and what is expected of you so that you can form clear goals for your plan.

If you are an executive or a manager who has direct reports, your version of a 30-60-90 day plan might look a bit different than a junior employee’s plan.

Here are a few tips to help you get started with your own plan.

1. Take time to learn about direct reports

During your first thirty days, you should be setting aside a large portion of your time to interview your direct reports.

Find out information about them as a person, such as their dreams and goals for their position.

• What are the pain points of their job?
• What barriers are there that stop them from achieving their goals?
• How would they solve those problems?

You should know what their strengths and weaknesses are so that you can see areas where they can improve.

In meeting with each person individually and attentively listening to them, you create a good impression, gain a deep, functional knowledge of your new department, and often will get insight on how to solve these problems.

All of this information can help you to see the current reality of the work environment.

As a new manager or executive, you might be able to help influence change in a way that would boost team morale and productivity.

2. Inform yourself

Consider this step as an extension of the previous one.

Not only should you gather all of the information possible from your recruits, you should spend a lot of time in your first 30 days reading reports, reviewing documentation, talking to other managers, and meeting with higher level executives.

This is the time to ask as many questions as you can, making notes on where you see issues or potential solutions.

3. Create an atmosphere of trust and alignment

During the first 30 days, work to gain the trust of those who will be working under you.

In many organizations, a new manager can represent a threat to how things work, and employees might be resistant to big changes.

You can build this atmosphere by making an effort to get to know them and listening to their thoughts, issues and solutions.

Never diminish the thoughts or opinions of your reports. If you think that they may be wrong, simply ask more questions to better understand their unique point of view. It could be that they are seeing a problem that you don’t.

By working hard at this, you can set yourself up to have a team that trusts that you will be working with their best interests in mind, as well as the organization’s.

4. Identify your strongest employees

By the end of the first 30 days, you should be able to pinpoint who your strongest employees are.

These people will form your A-team, and will be of great service to you.

These are the employees that you will want to include in important projects, as you can depend on them to drive other employees towards reaching their goals.

By having at least a few good employees who you can depend on, you can concentrate more easily on higher level issues, comfortable in the knowledge that your team will be fine without micromanagement.

Through this process, you should also be able to see where skills gaps are in your team, and begin identifying ways to close those gaps.

Plan out ways to invest in your team and grow their strengths.

5. Set SMART goals

Once you enter the second thirty days, it’s time to get some goals down on paper.

You have spent 30 days learning the lay of the land – now you should be in a position to identify issues and solutions.

Upon hiring, you will have been given a solid idea of what the organization expects of you.

After 30 days, you will be able to create actionable goals, begin implementing changes, and really stepping into your role.

6. Review processes

During the second thirty days, you should also be paying close attention to how the processes within your department work.

Often, a fresh set of eyes can see problems – and solutions – to processes that didn’t scale well, are no longer optimized, or otherwise simply don’t work as well as they could.

It is easy to get bogged down with ‘we’ve always done it this way’ and not see how change can be a positive.

As you learn how things are done, and why, you will likely be able to identify better ways of getting things done.

7. Implement changes to meet company goals

You should take everything you learned in the first 60 days, and implement changes in the final 30 days.

• Reduce bottlenecks,
• Implement new processes,
• Introduce new staff or training methods,
• Bring new ideas to achieve better performance.

From the executive level to the day-to-day management of your team or department, you should be leaning in, contributing what you can, asking questions, and generally participating to the best of your ability.

8. Identify your staffing needs

As you enter into your final 30 days, you should have a solid handle on how things are run in your department, and how capable your staff is.

Now is the time to take a close look at your staffing needs and see if they are being met.

• Are there bottlenecks in one department, holding things up for everyone else?
• Are there certain employees that need to take time for training before they can perform up to expectations?
• Could things be made smoother with new hires to help ease the workload?

Look at the short, middle, and long-term goals you have set. Create a hiring plan with those in mind.

9. Conduct regular meetings

Throughout this process, you should be checking in with your team on a regular basis.

You should have weekly meetings with your team to track progress and see how things are progressing on the goals set for the sixty- and ninety-day portions of your plan.

Depending on your work environment, these may be one-on-one meetings or a weekly team gathering.

Figure out what works best for your business, and then make these meetings a mandatory part of the company culture.

Try a 30-60-90 day plan template from Altassian in Trello.

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Business Plan Template for Interview

• Great for beginners
• Ready-to-use, fully customizable Subcategory
• Get started in seconds

Preparing for an interview with potential investors or stakeholders can be nerve-wracking, especially when you need to present a convincing business plan. Lucky for you, ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Interviews has got your back!

This template is specifically designed to help entrepreneurs or business owners showcase their vision and value proposition by providing a comprehensive outline for their business plan. With this template, you can easily organize and present key elements such as market analysis, financial projections, marketing strategies, and operational plans, ensuring that you leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Don't leave your success to chance! Use ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Interviews to confidently present your business idea, and take your venture to new heights.

Business Plan Template for Interview Benefits

A business plan template for an interview can provide numerous benefits, including:

• Streamlining the preparation process by providing a structured framework for organizing ideas and information
• Ensuring a comprehensive and thorough presentation by guiding entrepreneurs through key sections such as market analysis, financial projections, and operational plans
• Demonstrating professionalism and preparedness, which can leave a lasting impression on potential investors or stakeholders
• Highlighting the unique value proposition and competitive advantages of the business, increasing the chances of securing funding or support
• Saving time and effort by leveraging a pre-designed template that includes industry-standard sections and formatting.

Main Elements of Interview Business Plan Template

ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Interview provides entrepreneurs and business owners with the essential tools to create a comprehensive and persuasive business plan for potential investors or stakeholders. Here are the main elements of this template:

• Custom Statuses: Track the progress of each section of your business plan with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do, ensuring that every aspect is accounted for and easily managed.
• Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields such as Reference, Approved, and Section to organize and categorize important information within your business plan, making it easier to navigate and reference.
• Custom Views: Access different views like Topics, Status, Timeline, Business Plan, and Getting Started Guide to explore your business plan from various angles, allowing you to focus on specific areas or get an overview of the entire document.
• Collaboration: Use ClickUp's collaborative features such as task assignments, comments, and notifications to streamline communication and ensure everyone involved is on the same page.
• Document Editing: Take advantage of ClickUp's Docs feature to create and edit your business plan directly within the platform, making it easy to collaborate and keep everything in one place.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Interview, you can confidently present a well-structured and organized business plan that showcases your vision and potential for success.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Interview

If you're preparing for an important interview, using a Business Plan Template can help you organize your thoughts and showcase your skills effectively. Here are six steps to use the Business Plan Template for an interview:

1. Research the company

Before you start filling out the Business Plan Template, conduct thorough research on the company you're interviewing with. Look into their mission, values, products/services, competitors, and recent news. This information will help you tailor your business plan to align with the company's goals and demonstrate your knowledge and interest.

Use the Docs feature in ClickUp to gather and organize your research about the company.

2. Define your goals

Clearly define your goals for the interview. What do you want to achieve? Are you looking to showcase your problem-solving skills, demonstrate your industry knowledge, or highlight your leadership abilities? Knowing your goals will help you structure your business plan and focus on the most relevant information.

Use custom fields in ClickUp to outline and prioritize your interview goals.

3. Structure your business plan

Use the Business Plan Template to structure your plan effectively. Start with an executive summary to provide a concise overview of your plan. Then, include sections such as market analysis, competitive analysis, marketing strategy, financial projections, and action plans. Tailor each section to showcase your skills and how you can contribute to the company's success.

Use the Table view in ClickUp to create a structured outline for your business plan.

4. Highlight your skills and experience

Within each section of your business plan, highlight your relevant skills, experience, and achievements. Focus on how your expertise can benefit the company and solve their challenges. Use data, metrics, and examples to support your claims and make your plan more convincing.

Use tasks in ClickUp to outline your skills and experience within each section of the business plan.

5. Practice your delivery

Once you've completed your business plan, practice delivering it confidently and concisely. Rehearse your key points, anticipate potential questions, and prepare concise answers. Practice in front of a mirror or with a friend to refine your delivery and boost your confidence.

Create recurring tasks in ClickUp to remind yourself to practice your business plan regularly.

6. Review and revise

Before the interview, review your business plan and make any necessary revisions. Check for grammar and spelling errors, ensure consistency in formatting, and refine your content for maximum impact. Remember to tailor your plan specifically to the company and position you're interviewing for.

Set a recurring task in ClickUp to regularly review and revise your business plan before each interview.

By following these steps and utilizing the Business Plan Template, you'll be well-prepared and equipped to impress your interviewers with a comprehensive and well-structured plan. Good luck!

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Interview

Entrepreneurs or business owners preparing for an interview with potential investors or stakeholders can use the ClickUp Business Plan Template for Interview to effectively outline their business idea, market analysis, financial projections, marketing strategies, and operational plan, demonstrating a clear vision and compelling value proposition for the success of their venture.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a comprehensive business plan:

• Use the Topics View to organize your business plan into different sections, such as Executive Summary, Market Analysis, Financial Projections, and Marketing Strategies
• The Status View will help you track the progress of each section, whether it's Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, or To Do
• The Timeline View will provide a visual representation of your business plan's timeline, allowing you to set deadlines and milestones
• The Business Plan View will give you an overview of your entire plan, allowing you to easily navigate between sections and make updates
• Use the Getting Started Guide View to access helpful resources and tips on how to create a compelling business plan
• Utilize the custom fields Reference, Approved, and Section to add additional information and categorize your plan
• Collaborate with team members to gather feedback and make revisions to ensure your business plan is polished and persuasive.
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How to write a business plan for recruitment in 2024 (template included)

• Published on June 3, 2020
• Updated on February 12, 2024

Writing a business plan in recruitment has always played a crucial part in the interview process for a number of recruitment agencies around the world.

A comprehensive business plan can demonstrate a recruiter’s commitment, knowledge and commercial acumen. During economic uncertainties in 2023, these qualities are more important than ever.

Arriving at an interview armed with a comprehensive business plan before you’re even asked will no doubt set yourself apart from other recruiters.

During economic uncertainties, managers will need to present a business case to leadership for budget approval in order to make a hire. Your business plan will be an important element of this business case. An impressive business plan could be the difference between landing an offer today, or falling into a pipeline of other candidates.

In this article, we share a step-by-step guide outlining how to create a comprehensive business plan. We walk through the key components and include examples.

At the end of the article, you can download a free recruitment business plan template which is tailored towards the key components mentioned in this article.

A business plan should be packed full of relevant information but should be compressed and to the point. Avoid verbiage, stay specific and keep to 4 – 6 pages.

Introduction

Start with a title. Include your name and the company you’re writing the business plan for. A little personalisation will go a long way.

Underneath your title, outline the objective of your business plan and again personalise it towards the agency you’re interviewing with. While you have the hiring manager’s attention, this paragraph is an opportunity for you to demonstrate how comprehensive your business plan is. The aim is to capture the hiring manager’s interest so they continue to read each component:

“The objective of this business plan is to outline the value I can add to employer’s name.

In this business plan, I have highlighted my specialism, hiring activity in my market, my candidate and client strategies, my methodology, how I plan to recruit through economic uncertainties in 2023, my competition and my personal revenue projections over 12 months.”

You can use this paragraph as a way to introduce your business plan verbally if you’ve called up a hiring manager. You can also use this extract in a cold email.

Your specialisation

This is a crucial positioning statement for your value-add. It sets out precisely where your network and experience lies and what you intend to bring to the table in your new role.

Your specialisation can be described clearly by outlining what roles you will specialise in, what industries you will target, what level of seniority you will focus on and what geographies you will cover.

For ease of reading, you can use each component as a title and use bullet points to expand upon your answers.

Taking a Technology recruiter as an example:

What roles I will specialise in:

• Product Management permanent roles
• UX/UI Design permanent roles

What industries I will target:

• Series A – C funded technology startups (high investment, high growth and high volume of roles)

What level of seniority I will focus on:

• Mid to senior (120 – 180k salary range for Product Managers, 140 – 200k salary range for Designers)

What geographies I will cover:

• Based in Singapore, the local market will be my core market
• Secondary markets include Jakarta, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur due to less competition from recruiters and high volume of roles

Hiring activity trends

The hiring activity trends section provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate and portray your knowledge of the market.

The 3 important components of this section are: hiring activity over the past 3 years, hiring activity for next year and how you predict hiring activity to shift beyond that.

Utilise your own knowledge of the market but back it up with research gained from reputable sources related to your market e.g. Tech in Asia, Tech Crunch, Channel News Asia, The Straits Times or The Financial Times.

You’ll want to cover how hiring activity has increased or decreased, what the drivers of growth are in your industry and what the threats and challenges are within your sector.

Candidate strategies

Moving on from market trends, this section indicates how you will acquire candidates for your desk. It offers an opportunity for you to demonstrate the experience you’ve learnt in candidate management from your previous firm, but also an opportunity for the employer to ensure that your approach aligns with theirs.

3 key components of this section include: how you will generate candidate leads, what challenges you expect to face and how you will overcome these challenges.

Taking a Front Office Banking & Financial Services recruiter as an example:

How do I plan to generate candidate leads:

• Direct headhunting using a LinkedIn Recruiter account, this costs approximately $X amount, the key benefits being access to a high volume of InMails and enhanced search capability. This has been the sourcing tool for 60% of my previous placements

Challenges I expect to face:

• In light of economic uncertainties in 2023, highly sought-after candidates may be risk-averse and may not see this as a good time to move jobs

How I will overcome these challenges:

• I will develop relationships with these candidates for the future but I will adjust my sourcing strategy accordingly by increasing volume of direct approaches

Client strategies

A similar section to candidate strategies but geared towards clients. Arguably more important than candidate strategies during a recession as the market could be job-short – even in the good times, strong business development capabilities in recruiters are harder to find.

This section includes 6 key components including how you plan to onboard new clients, how you plan to sustain relationships with clients for repeat business, what industries your clients are in, the challenges you expect to face and how you will overcome these challenges.

Take these bullet points as a basic example:

How I plan to onboard new clients:

• During a recession, I plan to cultivate relationships by helping and consulting clients on non-recruitment related issues, such as advising clients on the current state of the market
• I plan to generate leads by making 25 cold calls per day during the ramp-up period, to again offer support and advice where needed, and to leverage any open roles
• A soft approach of connecting with hiring managers, HR contact and C-Level candidates on LinkedIn, to establish working relationships and eventually convert into clients

How I plan to sustain relationships with current clients and win repeat roles:

• The most important way to sustain relationships is by offering a service that is superior to competitors. That is by being transparent, sticking to deadlines and delivering results
• Regularly catch up with clients on a monthly basis to see how they’re doing and see if you can generate new roles
• Keep yourself updated on company news and congratulate clients on milestones e.g. if they generate a Series C round of funding

What industries I will target clients in:

• Series A – B funded technology startups
• During a recession there is less of an appetite to use agencies due to an unprecedented volume of great candidates available in the market
• Offer free support to companies currently not using agencies, provide an impressive service and convert into paying client post-recovery

The 6th component is “examples of target clients” and this is where you can really demonstrate tangible market knowledge. Use company names, find the potential contact in each company and add your comments, such as the volume of roles you expect from that client. 5 examples should be enough to peak your hiring manager’s interest.

You can use a table to display this information with ease:

It goes without saying that you should never be tempted to use information that is proprietary to your previous employer. This information can be openly found with some basic LinkedIn research.

My methodology

Are you a recruiter that is focussed on crunching numbers? Are you a recruiter who is focussed on cultivating long-term relationships? In this section, you can include a few quick bullet points to explain how you approach recruitment. This information gives your hiring manager an indication about whether you hold similar values and whether you have similar working styles.

How you can adapt to recruiting during a possible economic downturn

This section is a new one in response to market conditions in 2023 but can demonstrate how you are prepared to deal with current and upcoming challenges.

You can use this section as the title and include bullet points to outline how you will adapt to these market conditions.

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My key competitors

Which recruiters and agencies offer the greatest competition? Demonstrating your knowledge in this area highlights that you are commercially aware outside of your core market.

Include about 5 different competitors who are directly competing in your patch. You can use the table below to display this information:

Personal revenue and target projections

In many business plans, financial projections are of utmost importance and can demonstrate your commercial acumen. If you’ve ever watched Dragon’s Den, you’ll know what happens when you don’t know your numbers!

Project your personal revenue for 4 quarters. You can start your calculations by predicting the average annual salary of a candidate in your patch. You can project your average percentage fee agreed with clients and from there you can calculate your average fee. Once you have this, you can predict the amount of placements you’ll be making per month.

Make sure your revenue projections are realistic and achievable. Avoid the temptation to predict vastly optimistic revenues, especially during a possible recession. You must allow time to ramp-up and there must be a logical relationship between your historical and predicted revenues.

The plan only includes project revenue. Your historical revenue should be on your CV.

Take the below as an example:

My predicted average annual salary of candidates:

My predicted average percentage fee agreed with the client:, my predicted average fee:, my predicted average placements per month, my projected revenue over 12 months.

Underneath, you can also include the KPIs you will set yourself to guide you in achieving these numbers. For example, you can set yourself a guideline for how many CVs you need to send, how many candidate meetings you need to arrange, how many client meetings you need to arrange and so on.

The template

We’ve constructed a free template built around the components mentioned above, so you can create your own for when you reach out to hiring managers.

To download this template, please add your email below and you’ll be redirected to the template.

By downloading our busines plan, you agree to our  Privacy Policy and Notification Settings .

This step-by-step guide should give your hiring manager a clear idea of your plan. If executed successfully, you’ve already demonstrated your commitment, knowledge and commercial acumen before even attending an interview.

The way you’ve structured your plan will give your hiring manager a very clear indication of your methodology and whether you’d fit their structure. Keep in mind that if your methodology is focused on high volume recruitment, it’s not going to work well with an executive recruitment agency.

As a next step, learn this plan inside and out. Be prepared to pitch your plan to your hiring manager and answer detailed questions surrounding each component.

Leave your interviewer with no room for concern and secure that role! Lastly, if you enjoyed the article, please consider subscribing or following us on LinkedIn to have new articles for recruiters like this delivered directly to your inbox.

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As Founder of Charterhouse Partnership, I led the opening of 5 international offices, hiring & training hundreds of recruiters. Please subscribe to our weekly newsletter where I share my insights on the recruitment industry.

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Home Blog Business Crafting an Effective 30-60-90 Day Plan for Job Interviews: Examples + Templates

Crafting an Effective 30-60-90 Day Plan for Job Interviews: Examples + Templates

Some job interviews entail making or presenting a plan to show what can the new recruit offer the organization once he/she is hired. Depending upon the job title, there are various types of plans that one might require making such as perhaps a communications plan or project plan. However, the most common plan one might require making is a 30 60 90 day plan .

What is a 30 60 90 Day Plan?

Benefits for job applicants, benefits for employers, when to use a 30-60-90 day plan, key elements of a job interview 30-60-90 day plan, 30 days – learning phase, 60 days – evaluation phase, 90 days – optimize, start with an introduction, the first 30 days – learning goals, the first 60 days – initiative goals, the first 90 days – transformation goals, timeline & scorecard, make it readable, set smart goals, identify the company’s mission, meet the key stakeholders, be flexible.

• Determine How You Will Measure Success

Mintzberg’s 5Ps

Addie model, final words, 30 60 90 day plan templates for powerpoint.

Some employers ask candidates to present a 30-60-90 day plan. This helps employers understand the candidate’s skills, ability to create and manage measurable goals, foresight and willingness to be accountable for his/her work. The plan includes a roadmap to how the candidate aims to learn, add value and play a transformational role within the organization.

Source: 30-60-90 Day Plan PowerPoint template

Organizations usually expect candidates to not only put in an effort to understand and evaluate the organization, projects and working environment; but to also add value, optimize procedures and bring positive change.

Benefits of Creating a 30 60 90 Day Plan

Whether your employer has asked for a 30 60 90 day plan or you take one along without any prior request from the potential employer, there can be a number of benefits for making such a plan. Similarly, the employer can better screen candidates if they ask for a 30 60 90 day plan.

Clarity in Job Expectations

One of the benefits of making a 30 60 90 day plan is that it provides clarity regarding what you might want from the new job. Furthermore, by dwelling into specifics of the advertised job description, you can also better understand the nature of the job and what you might have to offer to your potential employer.

If you’re someone rather new in your career or at an intermediate stage, making 30 60 90 day plans when trying to move up the career ladder can also be a way to sharpen your skills. You can see it as a tool that improves performance and productivity in the long run.

Better Preparation for a Job Interview

By making a 30 60 90 day plan, you can better prepare for a job interview. Many candidates can make the mistake of not paying attention to the job descriptions for dozens of jobs they might apply for. Once they receive an interview call, it can be tempting to skip the fine details. This is where you can fail during a job interview. Many times, it’s not the tough questions that can ruin your job prospects but a simple question that you failed to prepare for.

A Reflection of Professionalism

Some job applications create a 30 60 90 day plan even if the employer has not asked for it. This shows intent and determination, where a potential candidate has taken the time to better understand the job role and provide practical suggestions. Such an approach can make your potential employer see that you aren’t coming in with a casual approach. It also reflects on your professionalism in a positive way and can help you score some extra points.

Helps Thoroughly Screen Candidates

Many candidates can be good at expressing their views but not all that good at implementing action plans. A 30 60 90 day plan template can help employers screen candidates more closely by analyzing the candidate’s capabilities and asking tough questions.

Enables Gauging the Experience of Candidates

When a potential candidate presents a 30 60 90 day plan , it’s not just a reflection of his/her ideas but also a reflection of the experience and expertise they bring along. Some candidates might be suitable based on their expertise and experience for the job compared to others. For example, when choosing between two candidates for social mobilization of rural communities, one might have experience working with large organizations, but the other candidate might be more suitable based on his/her expertise at the grassroots level. Such a distinction might mean the difference between someone who is more in touch with the environment he/she needs to work in compared to the other.

Can Help Attract Better Candidates

Arguably, asking for a 30 60 90 day plan can help weed out candidates with a casual approach who might not even want to put in the time to make such a plan. Such candidates might not even apply for the position, leaving room for better candidates.

30/60/90 plans are often required at the time of job interviews and after an employee joins an organization. Such a plan is a reflection of how the employee intends to move forward during the first 90 days at the job, including how he/she shall learn, adapt, and perform at the workplace.

To put it in a nutshell, you should create a 30 60 90 day plan when applying for a job and it is quite likely you will need one when starting your new job. However, as mentioned earlier, even if the employer hasn’t asked for one, you can always create and bring along such a plan, be it a simple document or PowerPoint presentation. This is because such a move will give you clarity in your job role, will help you plan better for the job interview, and might even help you win a few extra points.

We also recommend you to read: The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels by Michael D. Watkins to get some insight into how a 90 days plan can lead to success at the workplace. The book reflects upon leadership and career transitions. Joining a new job with a better salary and a few extra perks should not ideally be a goal. Negotiating with your new employer, moving up the career ladder, and ensuring success at the workplace requires leadership skills, your ability to bargain with your employer, team, and external stakeholders, is equally important.

How to Create a 30 60 90 Day Plan for a Job Interview?

If you have a job interview where you might require using a PowerPoint presentation to reveal your 30-60-90 day plan, you should focus on the key elements of the plan.

The key elements of a 30-60-90 day plan for a job interview entail understanding processes, people, procedures, products and competition, evaluating processes and provide an action plan for optimization and transformation within the organization.

The first 30 days entail the learning phase, where you must understand the processes, procedures, your team, product and the competition.

Process, People and Procedure

The first 30 days are to get acquainted with your new job. The objective is to understand the team, processes and procedures. Understanding how things work within the organization would be key to moving things forward. Many project managers can become disconnected from company processes and their own team, leading to bad decisions and subordinate resentment. During your job interview don’t try to show that you know everything, since everyone needs to learn about the new company before they can take meaningful steps.

Product and Competition

During the first 30 days you will also be required to understand the product or service, its key features, the clientele and how competitors might be a threat to it.

As evident from the aforementioned, the first 30 days, therefore, are all about learning the basics, followed by the next 30 days where you would move forward to the evaluation phase.

Evaluate Current Processes

The next 30 days (60 days) will include assessing current processes to understand how things work and to identify room for improvement. You might want to create a SWOT analysis to determine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This will also help you allocate resources in the best possible manner to optimize your impact.

Evaluate Changes

Once you have evaluated processes, you now must try to evaluate grounds for bringing meaningful change. For example, you can identify cost-saving initiatives, methods for reducing waste, improving processes, lower per unit cost, etc. During this time, you would also be acquainted with the team (during the first 30 days) to determine what kind of change might be rational and what changes might lead to employee resentment and a possible backlash.

The next 30 days (90 days) would conclude 3 months, which is also usually the probation period for employees. This is the time when you need to deliver, or you might find yourself looking for a new job. If you set out with SMART goals, you should be fine during this time.

Initiate Action Plan

Based on your specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound (SMART) goals, you will require initiating your action plan. This will be a detailed plan with timelines and a scorecard to measure the success of your strategies.

Implement New Strategies and Procedures

During the last 30 days of the 30-60-90 day plan, you should start rolling out your new strategies and procedures. For example, a new process might be rolled out during this time or initiatives to cut costs and improve efficiency might be initiated.

Practical Example: How to Create a 30-60-90 Day Presentation for a Job Interview?

Now that we have discussed the basics of a 30-60-90 day plan, let’s take a look at how to create a 30-60-90 day plan example presentation to show your potential employer how you intend to add value and improve the processes, procedures, and project delivery.

There is no point jumping right into the topic. You should start with a brief introduction of the topic at hand and explain what the plan is about. This is the section of the presentation that starts with a brief explanation of the topic.

You should incorporate your goals within your presentation, starting with the learning phase or the first 30 days. You should briefly explain how you intend to learn about the processes, procedures, people and corporate culture, product or service and the competition to evaluate room for improvement. If you don’t have a lot of information regarding the organization, you can create sample goals based on hypothetical examples.

Many people can end up joining a job and thinking they have made a mistake. You need to have absolute clarity that the new job is something you are interested in, are looking to take the initiative to move forward with and can add value to the organization. Speak with clarity regarding your goals and if necessary, use hypothetical examples to give an example of what you might bring to the table.

You can also discuss strategies used by competitor organizations and even present a SWOT analysis in your presentation. Your information during this time might be limited regarding the organization, since you are unlikely to know specifics. But that’s alright, since employers expect the candidate to put in an effort in their plan and not know everything regarding the organization at the time of the job interview.

Based on the learning phase (first 30 days), you must set goals for taking initiative. As mentioned earlier, this is the evaluation phase where you would look for bringing changes to processes, procedures and perhaps team orientation to set out an outline for what might be rationally achievable. You can set SMART goals with indicators in the form of a scorecard for this purpose.

This part of your First 90 Days in a New Job presentation will focus on the change you intend to bring and the way you ensure it. You can explain how you intend to integrate your team with your organizational mission, vision, core values and bring improvement to existing processes, procedures and methods. You can also refer to a SWOT analysis to explain how your methods might be the right way forward for the organization. For example, in case the company is facing declining sales, you can incorporate a plan for improving market share, competing more effectively against competitors who pose a threat to the business and how you intend to capitalize on available opportunities (e.g. brand goodwill or making better use of existing marketing resources).

Make sure that you incorporate a timeline and scorecard in your 30-60-90-day presentation. This will allow your potential employer to assess your capability of organizing your goals and get an overview of what your plan might look like at a glance. The scorecard will enable you to show how you intend to measure success and achieve your goals. This will help give a positive impression regarding your capabilities and clear out any possible confusion that your audience might have regarding your plan.

Tips for Making Your First 90 Days in a New Job Presentation

Making a plan for your first 90 days in a new job presentation is too complicated might confuse your potential employer. One of the key aspects of making a robust 90 days plan is that it should be easy to understand. Try to keep the layout of the plan easy enough for your audience to understand and pay special emphasis on legibility. If it’s a document, use standard fonts. If you need to present your plan, do away with flashy templates and over-the-top animations and try to keep the layout easy to read and simple enough to present. And of course, avoid death by PowerPoint.

It goes without saying that the goals you set out should be SMART, i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. You can analyze your goals once your plan is complete to ensure that they comply with SMART goals . Since this is a 90 days plan, you should try to focus on goals that are based primarily on the first 90 days, even if you plan to discuss a few long-term goals. You can also use a template that can help you easily layout your plan in the form of PowerPoint slides. For more information, we also recommend our section of SMART goals templates .

To create a 30/60/90 plan that is well received, you should ensure that your plan is in line with the company’s vision and mission. You can do a bit of research regarding that prior to your job interview. If you are making a plan after being hired, it is even more critical to ensure you don’t make a plan that can end up colliding with the corporate culture of the organization. To ensure this, you need to better understand the vision and mission statements of the company and any other frameworks they might have in place related to them.  

While it’s unlikely that you will be able to meet the key stakeholders at the time of the job interview, when making a 90 days plan after joining a job, you can meet the key stakeholders to help refine your plan. This would include both internal and external stakeholders such as peers, senior management, line managers, vendors, partner organizations, etc.

While you might think you have a robust 30 60 90 day plan. It isn’t necessarily going to be perfect for your potential employer. You need to leave room for flexibility and adapt to potential challenges and suggested changes. Be it at a job interview or when making a plan after being hired, you need to ensure your plan isn’t rigid and can be adapted to unforeseen circumstances.

Determine How You Will Measure Success Example

To measure success, you will require adding a few KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). For example, if you are hired as a communications expert in the development sector, you will be required to elaborate upon how you can use digital technology to benefit the organization. Are you looking to overhaul the company’s social media presence? Are you looking to change the website design of the company website with a responsive UI? Do you plan to reach a specific number of targeted beneficiaries under a human development program using digital technology? Your KPIs should be in line with your SMART goals and should be realistically achievable during the laid-out timeline.

Alternatives to 30-60-90 Day Plans

There are a few alternatives to the 30-60-90 day plan. Let’s briefly take a look at a few 30-60-90 day alternatives.

Mintzberg 5Ps have been around since 1987. These 5Ps were the brainchild of Henry Mintzberg and include; Plan, Ploy, Pattern, Position and Perspective. These 5Ps serve as a roadmap for making a business strategy to make the most out of an organization’s strengths.

ADDIE stands for Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. Being an Instructional Systems Design framework, the ADDIE model is used by instructional designers and training developers for developing courses.

Source: ADDIE Model PowerPoint template by SlideModel

The GROW Model is used by executive coaches. The model is meant for setting goals and problem-solving . The model can be understood simply by its name, which stands for Goal, Reality, Obstacles, Options and Way Forward.

Even if you are not asked to bring a 30-60-90 day plan, it might not be a bad idea to bring along one to improve your chances of scoring a job. A 30-60-90 day plan is essentially meant to assess the capabilities of a potential employee and what change he/she might bring to an organization. When making such a plan for a job interview, you should gather as much information regarding the organization as possible. You should also look into competitors, weaknesses in procedures, financial outlook of the organization, etc. This information is usually available on the organization’s website, via news articles and from companies dealing with trends related to the industry.

Your 30-60-90 day plan needs to be rational, with SMART goals and measurable success. You should not jump to conclusions but rather focus on rational approaches which might be implemented should you get the job. You should also account for aspects like a rigid corporate culture, possible non-cooperation of coworkers and procedures which might make it hard to implement your goals. In such a case you can mention pre-conditions for your 30-60-90 day plan to be successful. This is because many such plans can fail due to the bad working environment prevalent in particularly large organizations, where petty politics and slow procedures can be the bane of newly hired employees looking to implement strategies which might otherwise look rational.

If you are looking to create a professional plan for your new job interview, check out our 30 60 90 Day Plan Templates .

1. Free 30 60 90 Day Plan PowerPoint Template

Free 30 60 90 Day Plan PowerPoint Template is a 3-slide presentation for planning presentations. You can utilize slides of 30, 60, and 90 days planning to visualize goals and set realistic deadlines. Together, you can present a strategy for success in the first 90 days on job or a new project.

Use This Template

2. 30-60-90 Days Plan PowerPoint Template

This is our most popular 30 60 90 Day Plan Template for PowerPoint, the most recognized by jobseekers and expected by employers. This is a powerful tool in the final stages of a job interview process.

3. Simple 30 60 90 Day PowerPoint Template

The Simple 30-60-90 Day Plan Template for PowerPoint is an infographic layout of business and management concepts. This tool helps recruitment officers to analyze candidate’s interpersonal skills, clear understanding of job descriptions, and passion for work.

4. 100-Day Plan PowerPoint Template

The 100-Day Plan Template is a timeline and planning presentation. This template includes 5 slides of colorful diagram design. This template also includes a Gantt chart format of time scheduling for management plans.

5. 30-60-90 Day Planning Template for PowerPoint

The 30-60-90 Day Planning Template for PowerPoint is a strategy and planning concept presentation. The timeline of days is represented by a blue ruler shape containing entries of days instead of centimeters. The circular shapes give an effect of a magnifying glass on 30 – 60 – 90 day milestones.

6. 30-60-90-120 Day Plan Slides for PowerPoint

The 30-60-90-120 Day Plan Slides for PowerPoint is a tabular layout to present an action plan in any managerial capacity. It is a one-step further to 30-60-90 day plan to map project goals and deliverables within four milestones, including the 120 day plan option.

7. 30-60-90 Day Plan Slides for PowerPoint

The 30-60-90 Day Plan Slides for PowerPoint is a business planning template to map out main goals. In terms of 30, 60, and 90 days, you can highlight the deliverable of a project, operation, or job. Business owners, startups, and entrepreneurs use a 30-60-90 day roadmap template to highlight the company’s course of action.

8. 90 Day Plan Template Slides for PowerPoint

The 90 Day Plan Template Slides for PowerPoint illustrate a line gauge of tens. It is a timeline & planning PowerPoint template for all types of industry strategies. The concept can be applied to projects for organizing and prioritizing processes.

9. 90-Day Plan PowerPoint Template

The 90-Day Plan PowerPoint Template is a planning presentation tool used by business professionals. This template lets users personalize their 30-60-90 days plan of success for executive meetings. New managers and leaders use the 90-day plan template to showcase their first 30, 60, 90 days plan on a new job.

10. 30-60-90 Day Planning PowerPoint Template

This 30 60 90 day plan template is a clear example of how to generate a planning in three simple steps. This template is 100% editable, allowing the user to customize the content and visual appearance.

11. 30 60 90 Days Plan Timeline Template

The 30 60 90 Days Plan Timeline Template is a very useful template for project management. It will allow you to present your 30 60 90 day plan with a weekly planning of each task and a specific Gantt chart generating a clear roadmap.

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30-60-90, Interview, Planning, Strategy Filed under Business

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13 Interview Questions for Business Majors (and How to Answer Them)

Interviews are stressful by nature, and your first interview can feel overwhelming. You’ll likely be asked questions about the field, the company, your background and your dreams and aspirations. To say it’s a lot to handle would be an understatement.

When it comes time for an interview, you’ll need to fully leverage the skills and experiences you gained as you completed your business degree, and know how to talk about them in an articulate manner.

Here are some of the most common business interview questions you’ll face, plus some strategies for answering them in a confident, professional way.

Getting to know you questions

The interviewer will ask a series of questions designed to get a better sense of who you are, including questions about your work history, plus “ice breaker” questions. Some of the questions may seem like casual conversation, but each one presents an opportunity for you to demonstrate how you’re perfect for the position. These business interview questions and answers will help you practice for your own turn in the interview chair.

1. Tell me about yourself. Such an easy question, right? But instead of giving them your life story, offer some personal details and play up how well-suited you are to a business role. “I have been an entrepreneur since I was six,” you might offer. Tie your past to your motive for studying business and conclude with academic success, such as, “I think that’s why I got such good grades in strategic marketing.”

2. How did you hear about the job? Here’s an opportunity to showcase your research skills and connections. Did you find the job on LinkedIn? Say so. Did you like the company so much that you checked back frequently to find an available position that suited you? Even better. Do you know someone who works here? Drop that name here. Demonstrate that you did your due diligence for this role at this specific company.

3. Why do you want this position? “This is my favorite interview question,” says Mary Pharris, director of marketing and communications at Fairygodboss . “It tells me if the person is passionate about the company and the role — or not.” Be sure to demonstrate that you know the specifics of what the company does. “Then say why you’re interested,” Pharris recommends. “Why do you want to work there? What do you bring to the team?”

4. What would your strengths be as an employee? This is a chance to talk up the skills that may not show up in your work experience. Are you good at math? Do you learn software easily? Are you great at problem-solving? Are you outgoing? Analytical? Team player? Remember: Soft and hard skills are important, so mention if you’re an excellent public speaker ( soft skill ) or a whiz at Excel ( hard skill ).

5. What are your weaknesses? Everyone hates this question, but there’s a reason so many interviewers keep asking it. This is where you demonstrate that although you are new to the work world, you have done your share of personal growth and are self-aware. You could admit that you’ve stretched yourself too thin in the past and couldn’t fully focus on the most important commitments. On the plus side, this experience forced you to learn time-management skills and made you better at predicting what you can take on. Whatever you do, don’t give a fluff answer, like that you can’t resist chocolate. (Who can?)

6. What are some of your accomplishments? Here’s an open invitation to talk about your personal bests. Is there a school project you’re proud of? Intern at an investment firm? Start a microbusiness? Volunteer your advertising skills at a local nonprofit?

Highlight accomplishments that use skills employers might find desirable in a business major. For example, let’s say you are the president of an on-campus Greek organization. Not only will you have managed a budget, negotiated with vendors for events, you’ve led others, and networked with other chapters nationally. You’ve balanced your school work with a major outside time commitment. And you’ve donated time to charity to help them advance their cause. The financial, leadership, multi-tasking, and time management skills you’ve demonstrated are all things businesses look for in their employees.

Behavioral questions

Some interviewers love behavioral questions, which explore how you handled something in the past with the assumption that it will predict what you’ll do in the future. Prepare several anecdotes and frame them using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Results) method.

7. Tell me about a situation that required teamwork and how you drove your team to success. Perhaps you led a group project at school and received a great grade. Maybe you were part of an on-campus organization that plans big events. Maybe you were the captain of the tennis team. Choose a specific incident and tell a story that demonstrates how you work with others. Here’s an example of the STAR method at work.

• Situation: “In my marketing class, I was assigned to a group and asked to come up with a mock publicity plan for our school’s new fundraising campaign.”
• Task: Explain the problem the team faced. Maybe there was someone difficult on the team or there was friction between team members.
• Action: What did you do about it?
• Result: How did your actions lead to a great outcome?

8. Describe a time when you dealt with a difficult customer situation. The interviewer wants to know whether they trust you to deal with clients. Did you have a job at Starbucks? Maybe you work in the library, babysit or drive for DoorDash. Pull a specific incident from one of these situations to illustrate how you turned a difficult encounter into a positive relationship.

9. What motivates you? Several behavioral questions try to get at who you are and what drives you, such as:

• “Where are you most productive?”
• “What are your life goals and aspirations?”
• “When you were 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?”
• “What do you do outside of work?”

These questions are all looking for the same thing: what inspires you. Be professional and honest. This first business job probably isn’t your final dream job, but you can still honestly explain to a hiring manager how this position will help you along the way. Try phrases like, “I’m very outgoing, so I’m looking forward to working at trade shows,” or, “I’m happiest solving problems, so I’m looking forward to using my math skills to inform decisions.”

Role-specific questions

Interviewers will want to know how you fulfill what they’re looking for in a new team member. They will go through your resume and ask specific questions about items included there to help them form an opinion of your previous skills and experience. In addition to those questions, you should also expect to be asked questions like these to determine whether you’re a good fit:

10. Why do you think you’d be a good fit here? Highlight the things in the job description that you’re certain to succeed at. If they’re looking for focus on details, talk about how you could leverage experience gained in a summer internship auditing financials. If they’re looking for creativity, discuss the articles you write for your school’s newspaper. Connect your experience to the gap they’re trying to fill.

Also show that you are familiar with the company’s culture and its offerings. Maybe you’re an extrovert, and you love that the job involves a lot of teamwork. Or perhaps you wanted to work for an organization that gives back to the community. Maybe you’re a customer. Don’t be afraid to show that you’re a fan of their work.

11. What are your salary requirements? Prepare thoroughly for this one. Research salary ranges for this job in this industry and your geographic area. The interviewer will have a budget, but they also want to know how you value yourself. Aim high, but within the range you’ve researched, and be prepared to justify why you’re worth it: “I think my fluency in Mandarin makes me particularly valuable here.”

12. Where do you see yourself in five years? The interviewer wants to know if you are ambitious and if the job lines up with your goals. You might say, “I see myself in a decision-making role, using the skills and perspective I gain in this position to understand the daily operations well enough to do that effectively.” Be prepared to be specific about the skills you hope to gain.

13. Do you have any questions for me? This might look like an attempt to wrap up the interview, so it’s tempting to say, “Nope! I’m good.” But this is one of the more important questions in the roster.

“By the time a candidate gets to me, this is the only question that interests me,” explains Paul Smith, senior vice president at PEAK Technical Staffing . Smith is usually the last interviewer to meet with the candidate, and it’s up to him to make the final call. He asks this question because it shows him how the candidate views their future in the company and whether they’ve done their homework.

“It shows me that they think strategically,” says Smith. “I’m trying to separate out, downstream, the candidates I want to keep an eye on for promotability. You can — in the interview — set the stage for your career opportunities within the company.”

Come into the interview with a couple of questions for the hiring manager in your back pocket. But keep in mind that your questions might get answered along the way, so take mental notes on whatever new questions come up throughout the interview. Show that you’re engaged with the interview process and have questions related to the work, company culture or day-to-day responsibilities of the job.

While preparation and mock interviews are important, make sure the people you are meeting with understand who you are. Don’t be afraid to show a little bit of your personality. Over preparation can take the wind out of an interview and make conversation strained. Be prepared to discuss the company, the role, and your strengths and weaknesses. Be confident and honest, but don’t be too rehearsed, or you may not make the connection that helps you land the job.

Do you want to ensure that you’ll land an interview for your first business job in the first place? Let our Resume Builder and Cover Letter Builder help you create application materials that will get you noticed and called in for an interview.

About the Author

Christina Wood • Career Advice Contributor

Christina Wood, a working writer for over a decade, has been a contributing editor or columnist for The Week, Family Circle, PC World, PC Magazine, Yahoo Tech, IT World, InfoWorld, Greatschools.org, USA Weekend and several other national publications. Her "Family Tech" column in Family Circle won a Min Award (in 2013) for best advice column. She has contributed to many other media properties including Better Homes and Gardens, Popular Science, This Old House Magazine, NASDAQ International, Working Woman, Discovery, Greatschools.org, Jaguar Magazine, and JeanKnowsCars.com.

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How to Create a 30-60-90 Day Plan for an Interview

If you are a manager or executive-level candidate, be sure to stand out as an efficient and organized job candidate. Create a 30-60-90 Day Plan!

Are you a manager or executive candidate who is looking to set yourself apart?

Have you gone through the early stages of the interview process?

If so, there is a way that you can be sure to stand out as an efficient and organized candidate.

By creating a 30-60-90 day plan.

If you’re not sure where to start, this article will provide tips to help you create this work plan for your next (hopefully final) interview!

What is a 30-60-90 Day Plan?

A 30-60-90 day plan is a tool proven to improve your chance of being hired as you enter those later stages of interviewing.

Most people have the tools available to create this plan.

But the truth is, most candidates fail to prepare properly for an interview.

Especially if you are seeking a job in the managerial or executive sector, you will want to create a sample work plan for your prospective position.

In short, a 30-60-90 day plan is an outline of your strategy and the propositions you have for your first few months of work.

You can outline this 30-60-90 day work plan on a Word document. You can also create it using a PowerPoint presentation.

Below, we’ll discuss ways you can format your work plan, but first, let’s cover a few suggestions on how to approach it.

Focus On The Company

It is extremely important not to create a “one plan fits all” strategy.

You are not going to offer the same 30-60-90 day plan to every position you apply to.

If you have reached this point, you have likely had previous interviews with a certain company.

As such, you understand certain aspects of their culture, goals, and vision.

• Focus on the company’s specific requirements.
• Use any information you can gather. Look at the job description from the original posting. Look at the company’s website for goals and vision.
• Employ details you have gathered on the culture of the company.

Make a Plan Relevant to the Company’s Needs

Remember, you are interviewing to fill a gap somewhere.

Imagine that you have already received an offer and now it is time to deliver!

Your plan should be used to set you apart from the other candidates.

It needs to be unique to the specific job description because if you show a lack of effort, you will not leave a lasting impression.

(For more tips, check out the 50 Top Job Interview Questions And Answers .)

I know we already stated this, but it could bear repeating:

Your approach needs to be highly specific to be effective.

Statements such as these should be left out of your 30-60-90 day plan:

• Familiarizing myself with the office layout
• Making friends with neighboring pods

The hiring manager wants to know what you can do for the company.

Your own needs should be left out of the plan.

Only include those things you need to be an effective employee.

Also, try to quantify goals in your 30-60-90 day plan.

Nothing impresses an interviewer more than a candidate who can present quantifiable numbers, both in previous accomplishments and future goals.

Referencing prior accomplishments while presenting your plan can speak volumes to your organizational skills.

Formatting Your 30-60-90 Day Plan

Some sources suggest a flat 90-day plan.

Although this would suffice, we suggest an alternative approach.

Format your strategy as a 30-60-90 day plan instead.

Breaking your plan up into 30-day increments shows a step-based plan with each tier building upon the other.

For each set of 30 days, you can create specific goals in these four areas:

• Learning goals
• Performance goals
• Initiative goals
• Personal goals

Try following the template below to help you outline your plan.

First 30 Days

Focus on training, finding mentors, and embracing the company culture.

Make sure these focal points relate to both your job description and the people around you.

Considering the above four areas, your plan might look something like this:

1. Learning Goals

Read company’s corporate charter and focus primarily on sections that apply to my department

Speak with supervisor about any questions or comments regarding company charter

Take time to learn all relevant terminology for the company

2. Performance Goals

Complete company training courses

Earn an “A” on training course examination

Make a minimum of five calls per day

Convert at least two calls into clients each week

3. Initiative Goals

Volunteer to lead a project in next department meeting

Offer to oversee social media strategies

4. Personal Goals

Meet and grow acquainted with coworkers within my department

Focus on implementing your training and putting your experience into action.

Also, work with your supervisor to optimize your performance.

Learn about the line of products produced by the company

Research similar products created by competition

Chart strengths and weaknesses of competitors’ products

Increase number of daily calls to 10 per day

Convert at least one call per day to a client

Request a casual performance report from immediate supervisor

Put into practice any input received

Research methods for gaining new clients using social media platforms

Employ at least one new method each week 

Monitor effectiveness of each method

Invite colleagues to lunch or coffee 

• Discuss strategies for effectiveness
• Gain a deeper understanding of department operations

In this last stage of your 30-60-90 day plan, you can try to add your personal touch to the position.

Remember, your goal is to be an effective leader/coworker.

You want to build relationships and develop connections that benefit your position and the company as a whole.

Research cutting-edge sales methods 

Take an online learning course in relevant area 

Chart strengths and weaknesses of company products

Make at least one dozen daily calls 

Increase percentage of conversion

Gain referrals from current clients

Request colleagues or supervisor to monitor several calls and provide input

Offer to partner with R&D department to boost sales by considering more effective methods 

Choose and adopt one relevant method

Monitor effectiveness of method for continued use

Adopt one of the following practices to increase personal effectiveness and motivation

• Regular gym attendance

Summary of Creating a 30-60-90 Day Plan

Some employers will ask you to create a plan once you get the job.

But even if they don’t, you can be one step ahead (or several steps)!

If you complete a 30-60-90 day plan for your next interview, you will portray yourself as a high-quality candidate.

It might take some time, but don’t be afraid to put in the work.

This will guarantee that you have done all you can to display your abilities and work ethic.

The rest will be out of your control, but using this strategy effectively will eventually lead to results.

Happy job hunting!

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36 Tips for a Successful Business Interview

Interviewing, at its best, can be a nerve-wracking experience. Preparation can be key in quieting the feelings of self-doubt, anticipation and worry leading up to the interview. 

The following is a compilation of articles and videos that detail how to prepare for a job interview, how to present yourself in an interview, questions to ask the interviewer, tips for conducting yourself in the interview and following up post-interview. 

In-Person Interviews

Preparing for an in-person interview at the business or an off-site location, such as a coffee shop? Learn how to prepare and gain tips for how to best conduct yourself during the interview.

1. Article: “ Etiquette for a Lunch Interview ” - The Washington Post

Whether your interview is a scheduled lunch or a meeting for coffee, this article details some things to keep in mind.

2. Article: “ 7 Tips for Preparing for an In-Person Job Interview ” - Lifesavvy

Discover seven tips to learn more about the role you want and the company you’re interviewing with and other helpful preparation advice. 

3. Video: How to Prepare for an In-Person Job Interview (4 Things You Must Do) ” - Self Made Millennial

The video covers ten of the most asked job Q&As and other helpful tips for in-person interviews.

4. Video: “ What to Bring With You to an Interview ” - Cass Thompson Career Advice

Learn what to bring for an interview and things you shouldn’t tote along. 

Video and Remote Interviews

Interviews conducted via common web conferencing tools can require some setup and consideration to get right. There are also  video conferencing etiquette guidelines you may want to learn. It can be helpful to practice using the tools beforehand if you’re unfamiliar with it. During this practice session, you can check your background, as well as the distance and position you’ll be in within the screen.  

5. Article: “ Video Interview Guide: Tips for a Successful Job Interview ” - Indeed

This article details tips for in-office and remote video interviews, and live vs pre-recorded video interviews. It also contains an on-page related video “How to Ace Your Virtual Interview.”  

6. Article: “ 3 Things You Should Never Do During a Video Interview ” - FlexJobs

There are some specific things to know about video interviews—before you're on camera. This article shares three things you should never do during a video interview . 

7. Video: “ How To Ace Your Job Interview Over Zoom ” - Forbes

This video contains 10 tips for making an initial great impression. Learn how to effectively interview for a position using an online platform, such as Zoom and others.

8. Video: “ How to Cheat in a Virtual Job Interview ” - Cass Thompson Career Advice

In this provocatively titled video, Thompson offers tips that don’t involve cheating as much as knowing how to turn a video interview to your advantage.

How to Ace a Phone Interview

How you answer the phone for a scheduled interview creates a first impression. Learn simple tips for professional ways to answer a phone interview call and what to do and not do during the call.

9. Article: “ Phone Interview Rule #1: Don’t Say Hello ” - LinkedIn

Learn simple tips for professional ways to answer a phone interview call from seasoned interviewer, Marius van Staden, who writes that “over the past 15 years for multiple organizations, I estimate that 75% of all candidates I have interviewed over the phone initiate that potentially life-changing career phone call just like a personal call from a friend.”

10. Article: “ Phone Interview Tips That Will Help You Get Hired ” - The Balance Careers

A phone call is typically the first step in the interview process. A phone interview helps the company representative or recruiter determine your interest and fit for a particular position. Learn what to know before you answer the call.

11. Video: “ Phone Interview Questions and Answers Examples: How to Prepare for Phone Interviews ” - Self Made Millennial

Learn what to expect in a job phone interview and how to prepare.

12. Video: “ Best Phone Interview Tips: How To Pass a Phone Interview With a Recruiter ” - Don Georgevich

This video offers answers for job pre-qualification questions company recruiters typically ask when they call.  

How to Prep for Panel Interviews

A panel interview is an interview in which two or more people interview you at the same time. These are opportunities to showcase how well you perform in a group setting. 

These interviews typically occur in two types of ways:

• You are interviewed at one time by a group of interviewers (typical)
• You are interviewed separately by each interviewer in succession (atypical)

While interview type 1 may seem more intimidating, it can actually provide you with a better interview experience than type 2.    

Multiple Interviewers, One at a Time

Consider the example of an interviewee, Tyler. Each of seven company decision makers took turns individually interviewing him alone in a large company conference room. As one finished and left the room, another entered, interviewed him and left, followed by the next one, and so forth. 

By the time the fourth interviewer got her turn to interview Tyler, he felt like he was losing steam and repeating himself over and over again. By interview number seven with the hiring manager, he was completely drained. He wasn’t offered the position, which may have been partially due to the panel interview format the company chose. 

Alternatively, when you are interviewed by a panel of interviewers all in the same room with you, the chances of being asked the same questions over and over again are slim to none.

Following are some resources to learn more about how to conduct yourself in a panel interview.

13.    Article: “ How To Succeed in a Panel Interview: Tips and Questions ” - Indeed Editorial Team

This article covers four tips for a successful panel interview and other helpful interviewing information. 

14. Article: “ 9 Things to Never Do in a Panel Interview ” - Glassdoor

This article contains straight-forward tips for handling typical panel interviews.

15. Video: “ Top 7 Panel Interview Questions and Answers! (Pass Guaranteed) ” - CareerVidz

Learn answers to panel interview questions frequently used by employers for any job role.

16. Video: “ How to Do a Presentation (or Panel Interview) ” - Linda Raynier

Learn top strategies for structuring how you conduct yourself in a panel interview or presentation to project confidence.

How to Greet an Interviewer and Interview Closing Statements

Of course, you’ve heard that first impressions count. But do you know the key points of making a good first impression in an interview situation? Valedictions and closing statements you make at the end of an interview are also important. Following are a selection of resources that may help you get both right.

17. Article: “ 10 Strong Closing Statements for Interviews (With Examples)” - Indeed

18. Article: “ How to Greet In an Interview (With Examples and Tips) ” - Indeed Editorial Team

Article and video containing examples for how to properly greet interviewers in different situations. 

19. Video: “ How To Introduce Yourself In an Interview! (the Best Answer) ” - CareerVidz

Learn tips for introducing yourself in an interview and why the first three seconds of an introduction are most important.

Business Interview Questions: How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” and More

Following are resources for how to present yourself in an interview, which includes how well you can answer the interviewer’s questions. 

20. Article: “ 23 of the Best Things To Say During a Job Interview ” - Indeed Editorial Team

Article and on-page video about how to make a job interview flow like a comfortable conversation and tips for what to say during and at the interview’s conclusion.

21. Article: “ 38 Smart Questions to Ask in a Job Interview ” - HBR

This article discusses questions to ask during an interview and how to answer the question: “So, do you have any questions for me?”

22. Video: “ How To Answer: Tell Me About Yourself ” - Interview Coach Pamela Skillings

A top interview coach details how to expertly answer the common interview question: “Tell me about yourself.”

23. Video: “ Why Should We Hire You?: Best Answer (from former CEO) ” - The Companies Expert

This video details common interview questions, including: “Why should we hire you?,” “Why do you want this job?” and more.

24. Video: “ Questions To Ask at the End of an Interview ” - Career Interview Tips

It’s good to be prepared with at least one question before the interview occurs. This video offers tips for how to formulate questions for the interviewer and appear engaged. 

Job Interview Assessment Tests and Assignments

Answering and asking the right questions in an interview may only be part of the interview process. In some situations, you may be asked to complete a pop assignment relative to the position to which you are applying. 

Some companies may also ask you to complete a task prior to an interview. This allows the company to partially assess your suitability for a role. Interview assignments and tasks can be nerve wracking. It can be helpful to remember that you don’t want the struggle of landing a job for which you’re unqualified. 

25. Article: “ 17 Do’s and don’ts of Job Interview Assignments (With Examples) ” - Indeed Editorial Team

This article details how to complete requested interview tasks without becoming unwound, unreasonable interview assignment tasks, and more. 

26. Article: “ How to Tackle Those Additional Interview Tasks ” - Webrecruit

This article covers how to present interview assignments, including slides you’ve prepared, common types of assignments, how and why companies use assignments, and more.

27. Video: “ Aptitude Test Questions and Answers! ” - CareerVidz

This article covers typical testing formats, testing questions, what to expect in a timed test, and more.

28. Video: “ Aren’t Job Interview Assignments Unpaid Labor? Let Employers Stop Giving Work Assignments for Hiring ” - World 2.0

This unconventional video covers how to prevent being used as free labor when you’re trying to get a job, whether you can refuse an assignment and how to recognize when you’re being taken advantage of when you’re given an assignment to perform in the interview process.

Knowing How You Fared in the Interview

It’s been said that you usually have a good idea about the result of an interview immediately after it and whether a company is interested in hiring you. Following are some resources that can help you determine whether or not you’re likely to get a job offer post-interview. 

29. Article: “ 15 Signs Your Interview Went Well (or Badly) ” - CareerSidekick

From the interviewer’s body language to if the prospective employer mentions post-interview steps, the article details what to watch for to know whether you interviewed well.

30. Article: “ 6 Signs of a Bad Interview That Mean You Didn’t Get the Job ” - TopCV

Learn the common signs that indicate you may not get an offer based on an interview you had, along with encouragement to keep applying for other roles.

31. Video: “ What Are Some Good Signs You Got the Job?: 7 Signs Your Interview Went Well ” - A Life After Layoff

This video details some common signs to look for to determine whether or not you interviewed well for a role.

32. Video: “ Does Your Gut Indicate Whether You Passed the Job Interview? (With Former CEO) ” - The Companies Expert

If you think you did well in an interview, does that mean you passed? In this video, learn how to express gratitude for an interview, as well as the right time and way to follow up.

Post-Interview Tips

You aced the interview, now what? Is thanking each interviewer always a must? Learn answers to these common questions and more about the post-interview process.

33. Article: “ 5 Things You Must Do After a Job Interview ” - Forbes

Learn simple actions you can take following a job interview.

34. Article: “ Post-Interview Etiquette: Tips for Following Up ” - The Balance Careers

This article covers rules to follow after an interview in which you believe you did well, how to follow up and things not to do that might change the good impression you left.

35. Video: “ Job Interview Follow Up: 4 Key Tips ” - Linda Raynier

Learn how to write post-interview thank you notes and how to follow up to learn whether you got the job.

36. Video: “ Best Time Toll Follow-Up After Your First Job Interview ” - Don Georgevich

In this presentation, the host says that one reason you may not be receiving job offers is because of a lack of action after the interview and offers ways to follow up with decision makers.

5 Top Skills Employers Want

Learn which skills employers are looking for today in new business graduates and others.

Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University invites you to explore your options  for furthering your career in business.

Related insights

Developing Effective Strategies in Today's Diverse Workforce

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50 Questions Your Business Plan Should Answer

S adly, most investors don't read business plans. However, writing one is the only way you will be able to answer the following 50 questions which an investor will ask you:

1. What is the price of your product or service and why?

2. How much capital is required to execute your business plan?

3. How much is the company is worth?

4. What existing products/services does your company provide?

5. What is the use of the proceeds?

6. On a summary basis, what is the historical financial performance of the company (even if, and perhaps particularly if, you have no revenues)?

7. On a summary basis, what is the projected financial performance of the company?

8. What new products/services are being developed and when will they be ready for market?

9. What is the size of the market for your product in dollars?

10. What is the size of the market in terms of units?

11. How has the market for the product/service changed over the past 5 years and why?

12. How do you anticipate it will change going forward?

13. At what rate is the market for your product growing?

14. Is the competition highly concentrated or highly fragmented?

15. What is your distribution channel and why is it the best one?

16. On a broad level, what are the elements of your marketing strategy?

17. What does it cost to generate a lead, and what is the ratio of leads to sales?

18. What funding is being allocated to new product development from the financing and from ongoing operations?

19. How many potential customers have you talked to?

20. What are the gross and margins on your product/service? Why are they superior or inferior to a competitor?

21. What is your assumptions on the bad debt and collection period for outstanding receivables?

22. What are your working capital needs once sales take off and how will these needs be addressed?

23. What will happen to gross and operating margins as sales rise and why?

24. What percentage of your sales are recurring?

25. Who are your top five executives and what is their professional and educational background?

26. What regulatory or legal threats are present?

27. Are there international markets for this product and is the company positioned to take advantage of them?

28. Who is the largest competitor in your industry?

29. What criteria will be used to choose locations for geographic expansion?

30. How will you get this product into mass market distribution channels?

31. Is the product/service patented?

32. Who are your suppliers and or vendors?

33. Do you have more than one for each supplier/vendor of your basic raw materials or services?

34. What are your payment terms with vendors or suppliers?

35. What will cause gross and operating margins to improve as volume increases or decreases?

36. Where is the company located and how many square feet does it lease or own?

37. What is the length of the sales cycle?

38. How did you estimate returns and allowances?

39. How are sales personnel compensated? Incentivized?

40. What, as a percentage of sales, is the industry norm for R&D expenditures?

41. What is the earnings multiple of public companies like yours?

42. What is your immediate marketing objectives?

43. Does the company have a board of directors or advisors?

44. What is the ownership structure of the company? Who else is an owner?

45. How has the company been financed to date? What other financial transactions have occurred in the past?

46. Has the product generated any publicity? Where?

47. How old are the current liabilities on the balance sheet?

48. Who has prepared the historical financial statements and have they been compiled, reviewed or audited?

49. Is there any cyclically in sales?

50. What are the competitive advantages of your products?

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

David Evanson

David R. Evanson has more than 30 years working in the media, on Wall Street and in media relations. He has worked with investment banks, asset managers, private equity investors and institutional brokers on a variety of marketing and communications challenges. David is also a recognized financial writer, having authored five books on finance and economics, and articles in Barron’s, Forbes, Investment Dealers’ Digest, On Wall Street, Financial Planning and Entrepreneur, among others. David brings to the table a well-developed understanding of the capital markets, investments and corporate finance, and a talent for creating targeted media communications programs for financial services providers.

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30-60-90-Day Plan , 30-60-90-Day Plan for Managers , 30/60/90-Day Action Plans for Non-Sales , 30/60/90-Day Sales Plans , Business Plans For Interviews , Finding a Job , Getting Hired , Interviewing Skills and Tips , Job Interview Advice , Job Interview Preparation , Job Interview Skills , Job Search , Job Search Success , Job Search Tips , Jobseekers , LinkedIn Tips

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17 Strategic Planning Consultant Interview Questions and Answers

Learn what skills and qualities interviewers are looking for from a strategic planning consultant, what questions you can expect, and how you should go about answering them.

Strategic planning consultants work with organizations to create long-term plans for growth and success. They conduct research, analyze data, and develop recommendations for their clients. If you want to become a strategic planning consultant, you’ll need to be able to demonstrate your skills and experience in an interview.

While each interview will be unique, there are some common strategic planning interview questions you can expect. In this guide, we’ll provide sample answers to help you prepare for your interview.

Are you familiar with the concept of the “strategic triangle”? Can you explain what it is and how it applies to strategic planning?

What are the key components of a strong strategic plan can you provide examples from your previous experiences, how do you determine if a strategic plan is successful or not what examples can you provide from your previous work, what is your process for identifying and prioritizing goals for clients can you provide an example from your previous work, provide an example of a time when you had to help a client make a difficult decision regarding their strategic plan. what was the decision and why was it difficult, if you had to choose one skill that is essential for a strategic planning consultant, what would it be and why, what would you say is your greatest weakness as a strategic planning consultant and why, how well do you perform under pressure what examples can you provide from your previous work, do you have experience working with clients from different industries if so, what examples can you offer, when consulting with clients, how do you communicate your ideas so that they understand your recommendations, we want to expand into new markets. what industries would you recommend we target, describe your process for conducting market research. what tools do you find most useful, what makes you an ideal candidate for this role, which strategic planning frameworks do you have experience using, what do you think is the most important thing to remember when completing a strategic plan, how often should a strategic plan be updated, there is a gap between the current state of the business and the desired future state. what is the first thing you would do to help close that gap.

The interviewer may ask you this question to assess your knowledge of the strategic planning process and how it applies to a business. This is because the strategic triangle is one of the most important concepts in strategic planning, as it helps businesses determine their strengths and weaknesses and develop strategies that can help them improve. In your answer, try to explain what the strategic triangle is and why it’s so important for strategic planners to understand.

Example: “The strategic triangle is a concept used by many strategic planners to help businesses identify their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. It involves creating three different categories based on these elements—the internal environment, the external environment and the organization itself. I have worked with clients who use the strategic triangle to create plans that address all aspects of their business operations and help them achieve success.”

The interviewer may ask you this question to assess your knowledge of strategic planning and the steps involved in creating a strong plan. Use examples from your previous experience to highlight your expertise with strategic planning and how it can benefit an organization.

Example: “A strong strategic plan includes several key components, including a mission statement, goals, objectives, strategies and tactics. I always make sure that each component is clearly defined so there’s no confusion about what the company aims to achieve or how they’ll do it. In my last role, we developed a strategic plan for a new client who wanted to expand their business into international markets. We used our research to develop a clear vision for the company and created specific goals and objectives to help them reach those goals.”

An interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your analytical skills and how you use them to measure the success of a strategic plan. Use examples from past projects that highlight your ability to analyze data, interpret information and make decisions based on what you find.

Example: “I believe there are three main factors that determine whether or not a strategic plan is successful. First, I look at the goals set in the plan and evaluate if they were met. If so, then I know the plan was successful. Second, I examine the budget for the project and compare it to actual expenses. If the company spent less than expected, then the plan was successful. Finally, I review customer satisfaction surveys and other feedback to see if customers are happy with the product or service.”

Interviewers may ask this question to learn more about your process for strategic planning and how you apply it in the workplace. Use examples from previous work experience to explain your approach to goal setting and how you help clients achieve their objectives.

Example: “I start by listening carefully to my client’s goals and objectives, then I use a variety of tools to analyze data and information to determine what they need to focus on most. In my last role, I worked with a company that wanted to expand its product line but was unsure which products would be best for customers. After analyzing customer feedback and sales data, I determined that the company should develop new software rather than additional hardware.”

This question can help the interviewer understand how you make decisions and apply your critical thinking skills to a client’s strategic plan. Use examples from past experiences where you helped clients make important decisions that led to positive outcomes for their organization.

Example: “In my last role, I worked with a nonprofit organization who was looking to expand their services into new areas of the state. The problem they were facing was that they didn’t have enough funding to support this expansion. We had several meetings discussing different options for raising more money or cutting back on some of their current programs. Ultimately, we decided that it would be best to raise funds through private donors rather than cut any existing programs.”

This question is a great way to show the interviewer that you know what skills are important for your role. When answering this question, it can be helpful to think about which skills you use most often in your current position and how they help you succeed.

Example: “I believe one of the most essential skills for a strategic planning consultant is communication. This skill helps me understand my clients’ needs and goals so I can create plans that meet their expectations. Communication also allows me to work with other consultants on projects and collaborate with team members to solve problems.”

This question is a common one in interviews, and it’s likely that you’ll be asked to discuss your weaknesses at some point. Employers ask this question because they want to know what potential challenges you might face as an employee of their company. They also want to see how you respond to criticism. When answering this question, try to choose a weakness that isn’t too serious or important.

Example: “I would say my greatest weakness is that I am sometimes overly critical of myself. While this can be helpful when trying to improve my work, it can also lead me to doubt my abilities. In the past, I’ve learned to use this self-criticism as motivation to do better.”

This question can help an interviewer learn more about your ability to work under pressure and how you react in those situations. When answering this question, it can be helpful to describe a time when you had to meet a tight deadline or perform well while under stress.

Example: “I have experience working with clients who are facing deadlines and need my strategic planning services quickly. In these situations, I always make sure to communicate clearly with the client so they know what to expect from me. This helps them feel confident that I will deliver on their project by the deadline. I also use my organizational skills to ensure I am meeting all of the necessary requirements for each project.”

An interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your experience working with clients from different industries. This can help them understand if you have the ability to adapt to new situations and work well with people who are unfamiliar with strategic planning processes. In your answer, try to explain how you’ve worked with clients from different industries in the past and what challenges you faced while doing so.

Example: “I’ve worked with clients from a variety of industries throughout my career as a strategic consultant. I find that each industry has its own unique characteristics when it comes to strategic planning. For example, one client I had was a small business owner who wanted to expand their company but didn’t know where to start. We spent several weeks discussing his goals and objectives before coming up with a plan for growth.”

Interviewers may ask this question to assess your communication skills and how you can help clients understand the information you’re presenting. In your answer, try to explain that you use visual aids or other methods to make sure your client understands what you’re saying.

Example: “I find that using visuals is one of the best ways to communicate my ideas to a client. I always bring plenty of printed materials with me when I meet with a new client so they have something tangible to take home. When I’m speaking with them, I also try to use analogies or metaphors to help them better understand the concepts I’m explaining.”

This question can help the interviewer determine your knowledge of the market and how you would apply it to their company. Use examples from your experience or research to show that you understand the current trends in industries that are growing.

Example: “I would recommend targeting industries with high growth potential, such as healthcare, technology and financial services. These industries have a lot of room for expansion because they’re constantly changing and developing new technologies and products. I also think these industries are more likely to be willing to spend money on strategic planning because they need it to stay competitive.”

Market research is an important part of strategic planning. Employers ask this question to learn more about your process for conducting market research and the tools you use to do so. In your answer, explain what steps you take when conducting market research and which tools you find most helpful in doing so.

Example: “I start by researching my client’s current customers. I want to know who they are, how they found out about the company and why they chose to buy from them. I also look at their competitors’ websites and social media accounts to see what they’re offering. Then, I conduct a search on Google Trends to see what people are searching for online. This helps me understand what consumers are looking for and if there’s a need that my client can fill.”

Employers ask this question to learn more about your qualifications for the role. They want someone who is passionate about strategic planning and has a lot of experience in the field. Before your interview, make a list of all your skills that relate to this position. Think about what you enjoy doing most when working on projects. Share these with the interviewer so they can see why you are an ideal candidate.

Example: “I am an ideal candidate for this role because I have extensive knowledge of strategic planning. Throughout my career, I’ve worked on many different types of projects. I also have a passion for helping businesses grow by developing strategies that help them meet their goals. My communication skills are another reason I’m an ideal candidate. I am able to clearly explain complex ideas to others and collaborate well with teams.”

This question can help the interviewer understand your experience level and how you apply strategic planning frameworks to client projects. Use examples from your past experience to highlight your expertise with different types of strategic planning models.

Example: “I’ve used several strategic planning frameworks in my previous roles, including the Business Model Canvas, Value Proposition Design Canvas and Lean Canvas. I find that these tools are useful for helping clients identify their business goals and develop strategies to achieve them. In my last role, I worked with a client who was looking to expand their product line. We used the Business Model Canvas to create a plan for developing new products while also maintaining existing ones.”

This question can help the interviewer understand your thought process and how you approach a project. Your answer should show that you know what’s important when completing a strategic plan, but it can also give insight into your own values and priorities.

Example: “I think the most important thing to remember when completing a strategic plan is to make sure all stakeholders are involved in the planning process. It’s crucial to get input from everyone who will be affected by the plan so they feel like they had a voice in the final product. I’ve seen many instances where one person or department feels left out of the process, which can lead to problems later on.”

This question can help the interviewer understand your knowledge of how often a strategic plan should be updated. Use examples from past projects to explain when you recommend updating a strategic plan and what factors influence this decision.

Example: “I believe that it’s important to update a strategic plan at least once per year, but I also think it depends on the organization. For example, if an organization is doing well with its current strategy, then there may not be a need for frequent updates. However, if the company is experiencing challenges or changes in leadership, then I would recommend more frequent updates. In my last role, we recommended quarterly updates.”

This question is a great way to show your interviewer that you have the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in this role. Use examples from past experiences where you helped close gaps between current and future states.

Example: “The first thing I would do is conduct research on the company’s goals, objectives and strategies. Then, I would analyze the gap between the current state of the business and the desired future state. This analysis will help me determine what steps are needed to get the company closer to its goals.”

17 Chief Lending Officer Interview Questions and Answers

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10 Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Have a job interview coming up? Interview preparation is key. Before going, review the most common interview questions, plan your responses, and research the company so you can walk into that room prepared. 

When you land an interview, you’re probably excited and wondering about the most common interview questions. To prepare for your interview and make a great first impression, you can explore this list of 10 common interview questions and plan your responses to them. 

1. Tell me about yourself. 

This warm-up question is your chance to make an impactful first impression. Be prepared to describe yourself in a few sentences. You can mention: 

Your past experiences and how they relate to the current job

How your most recent job is tied to this new opportunity

Two of your strengths

One personal attribute, like a hobby or an interest

The majority of this response leans on your past work experience, with a small dash of your personal life added at the end of the response. Keep your answer to two to four minutes.

2. Why do you want to work for this company?

The answer to this interview question should include specifics about the company, so you’ll need to do some pre-interview research. If, for example, the company is known for its collaborative culture, you could point out successes you’ve had while collaborating with a team. 

Look for company-specific information on their website and social channels. Pay attention to the company’s mission statement, values, and the ‘About us’ section. Explore employee-specific posts on social media to learn about the company’s culture or outreach programs. Combine this information with relatable skills to show your preparedness and enthusiasm for the company. 

3. Why are you leaving your current role?

When asked about leaving a previous job, be honest but positive. Even if you left a job under trying circumstances, keep your response short and upbeat. Here are some suggestions:

I’m looking for a company that better aligns with my values. 

I’m excited to find a company where I can grow my career. 

I’ve decided to go down a different career path.

My position was downsized, but I’m looking forward to a new opportunity. 

I’m excited to explore a culture in line with my personality. 

I’m ready to take on a new challenge with an innovative company. 

I’ve aspired to work for this company and seized the chance to apply.

Read more: Reasons for Leaving a Job and How to Talk About Them

4. What is your biggest weakness?

When it comes to identifying weaknesses, think about some conflicts you’ve had to overcome. Maybe it’s difficult for you to take criticism, collaborate, or make public presentations. Take these challenges and frame them with a solution. For instance, you learned to take feedback to better a project, collaborate to elevate a product’s offerings, or use presentations as a way to build your confidence. 

Read more: How to Describe Your Weaknesses in a Job Interview

5. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Your greatest achievement should be something specific, like bringing a new video game to a saturated market despite a lack of resources. Discuss a work-related triumph as a way to humbly mention your achievements as opposed to listing awards or accolades. This achievement should also fall in line with the company’s mission, goals, or the position’s objectives.

6. Tell me about a difficult situation you’ve faced and how you handled it. 

This question is really asking about your character during moments of stress. Think of a time when you faced an impossible deadline, had to choose sides, or navigated interoffice turmoil. Explain the problem, how you stayed calm, and focus on the solution that produced a resolution. 

7. Give an example of how you’ve gone above and beyond your role requirements. 

While you might be tempted to mention the extra hours you put in or the additional tasks you take on, it’s best to showcase your skills with a story. Talk about the innovative methods you deployed to revive a stalled project or roles you filled when your team was downsized.   

8. What are your salary expectations?

Salary talks can be sensitive, but they’re necessary. Research a competitive salary before you go into your interview, so you don’t aim too high or low. You can use tools like a Salary Calculator or Salary Comparison and Estimator to get baseline compensation. Be sure to mention years of experience or specific certifications that enhance your value.   

9. Where do you see yourself five years from now? 

Another common interview question looks at your five-year plan. You should promote your commitment to the company while looking toward growth opportunities.  

More specifically, you can craft a response that explores your:

Position-related goals

Potential experiences within the company over the next five years

Possible certifications, skills, or achievements you might obtain

Aspirations for growth within the role 

Read more: What Are Your Career Goals?

10. Do you have any questions for us? 

Typically, this is the last question of the interview, and it might be tempting to say, “No. I’m all set.” However, this question allows you to show your interest in the position. Some questions you could ask include:

What are the day-to-day tasks involved in this role?

How do you evaluate the progress of this role? 

What ongoing educational or training opportunities could I pursue in this role?

Where do you see the company in five years?

How would you describe the company culture?

Read more: Questions to Ask at the End of an Interview

How to prepare for an interview

Before your interview, you should do a few things in preparation. To make a great first impression, you should research the company, practice your responses to common interview questions, and run through a practice interview. For more specific tips, take a look at this pre-interview checklist:  

Research the company.

Start your research on the company website. Look over the company mission statement, values, and company history. Next, check Google News for any articles that include the company. Comb through the company’s social accounts, paying particular attention to the product- or employee-related posts. Also, read the LinkedIn profiles of the company’s key players, and if possible, the profile of your hiring manager. 

Understand company work culture.

Take some time to learn about the company culture by looking at employee photos on social media and checking out the company's news coverage. You might see team-building events on its Facebook Page or news coverage of a recent fundraiser, which can help you understand the culture. You can also check for employee testimonials on business rating platforms, like Glassdoor.

Prepare your answers.

Take some time to review the most common interview questions and practice your answers. You don’t want to sound rehearsed, so write down a few bullet points for each question and talk through them a little differently each time. 

Practice the interview.

Ask a friend or family member to role-play with you. Go through the standard interview questions, and practice your greeting and exit. Wear the outfit and shoes you plan to wear during the practice to make sure you’re comfortable.

Read more: What to Wear to an Interview

Ask for feedback. 

Ask your mock interviewer to give you feedback. Maybe you slouched in the chair, nervously bounced your knees, or got stuck on a particular interview question. The person helping you can give you some tips to improve your interview skills.  

Prepare for your next interview with Coursera

In addition to role-playing, you might consider taking an online class or two to improve your interview skills.

For step-by-step guidance throughout the interview research process, consider taking the University of Maryland's Interview Research and Preparation course. In just 19 hours, you'll identify transferable skills, practice your communication skills, and learn to use efficient language to discuss your skills.

Strategize your resume writing, job search, and interviewing techniques with the Interviewing and Resume Writing in English Specialization from the University of Maryland. Over the course of three months, you'll learn advanced interviewing techniques, write a winning resume and cover letter, and practice your interviewing skills with other job seekers from around the globe. 

If you're preparing for a coding interview, get specialized practice with an industry leader by enrolling in Meta's Coding Interview Preparation course. In this intermediate-level program, you'll focus on technical interview topics for coders, such as algorithms, pseudocode, and data structure.

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I've been offered every job I've interviewed for. Here are 5 questions I ask interviewers.

• Kendal Lindstrom started a career-change consultancy after struggling to change jobs.
• She shared her strategy for acing job interviews , which includes having five key questions ready.
• They focus on areas such as company culture, team dynamics, and the employer's long-term plans.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kendal Lindstrom, 25, who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. She runs a career-change consulting firm named Doux and works in tech. She recently posted a TikTok about five questions she has ready for a job interview. Lindstrom says she believes asking at least some of these questions is why she's always landed a role she interviewed for. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

I started Doux because I never liked to be put in a box in terms of my career. Coming out of college, I thought, "I just want to be known as the girl in fashion." I was so wrong. But I didn't know how to pivot into a new industry . It took me two years of connecting, trying, and failing. I found the framework of what Doux is now by failing.

After working in fashion, I got myself into medical sales. I then switched to tech because that's where my passions lie. It took me two years to go from fashion to medical sales. But from the day I decided I wanted to be a tech consultant, it only took me three weeks to get my offer letter.

The difference was I knew how to write my résumé. I knew how to become the candidate that they needed.

My formula is to map your résumé to the career you're going to, not the career you've been in. To get to my current job, I created a résumé that was unstoppable.

Usually, I tell my clients to reach out to the hiring manager. In this case, the hiring manager got to me within minutes of me submitting my résumé. The interview process was extensive, but, like I always tell my clients, it's about follow-ups.

I followed up three times because they had great candidates. But I needed to stay in front, and I needed to be the person they chose.

I had the drive

It's funny when I look back and talk to the executives who hired me. They're like: "You had no business being in tech. You had nothing on your résumé that told us that you would do a good job in this. But the way you presented yourself, it was a no-brainer to hire you because we knew you would get it." So, it's often more how you're presenting yourself in a professional realm rather than what you're saying to answer the questions.

I had drive, and that's what they were looking for. They were looking for someone young to grow with the company. If they wanted someone young, they weren't going to get all the experience in the software that they needed. But I was eager to learn, and however many hours outside work that took, I was willing to do it. I really drove home that it doesn't stop at 5 p.m. My job stops when my job is done.

Each day after work, I spent 30 minutes reading a training book my company had given me. Then, I tried to apply the knowledge for 30 minutes. The next day, I would get time on my boss's calendar and say: "This is what I learned yesterday. Tell me how you have seen this applied in scenarios with a client."

It took me about a year to really digest everything. It was tough, but it came down to whether I was willing to ask questions when I needed help rather than having too much pride and not asking anyone.

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I've done a lot of interviews for my age because I kept my options open no matter where I was in my career. I've never wanted to be stagnant. So I have done upwards of 10 or 11 interviews, and I've never been told no because my goal was to make an employer feel like I had their best interests at heart and I wanted to be part of their company, which meant I needed to sell myself as a solution. And it's more about the questions you ask than the answers you get.

I have pretty thick skin

When I worked in medical sales — or even with some of the comments on my TikTok — so much was about my image. I was like, "What does my blonde hair have to do with the knowledge that I have?" Not that it ever hurt my feelings because I have pretty thick skin. In any industry, there will be people who would want to discredit someone's abilities because of how they look. But at the end of the day, I can use my brain to where people are like, "We need to listen to you."

@kendallindstrom it’s more about the questions you ask than the answers you get. people want to talk about themselves. #interviewquestions #jobinterview #resume #careerchange #womeninbusines ♬ original sound - DOUX | CAREER CHANGE MGMT

Some of the comments on my TikTok have been so far off the mark. At the time of my interviews for my current job, I didn't have a website, and my social media wasn't publicly available. So, I got the job because of the things I said and the questions I asked, and not because of my appearance.

These are my five key questions:

What's the company culture like?

The first thing I tell people to ask is about company culture. That's a big one. It's such a make-it-or-break-it for enjoying your job. I wanted my audience to know that asking about it is so important because if you're miserable in your job, you're only setting yourself up to fail.

What's the lowdown on my predecessor?

The second one is, "What did the person who held this role before me do that was appreciated but not required based on the job description?" I suggest this one because I want my audience to put themselves in the role already. It's an assumptive selling tactic. I always say go into the interview and sell yourself.

I asked that question one time — "What are you going to miss most about this person?" — and the interviewer said, "Oh, they got Starbucks all the time." And I was like, "Great, I guess we'll be getting Starbucks for the office all the time."

What do my colleagues require?

The third question was, "How can I best suit the needs of my direct counterparts?" That came from wanting to understand — in the most professional way — the team you're walking into. It helps me understand and identify how I would fit into the team.

I've seen teams before where they just don't get along. But you don't know that until you sit down on the first day. And at that point, it's already too late. You're either leaving, or you've got to deal with this until you can figure out another job.

How successful is the team?

No. 4 is what the current state of the department is in reference to the bottom line. That has to do with asking about sales, of course, but I'm also asking: "Am I walking into a failing department? Are you expecting me to turn things around? Are you expecting me to just take the blame for something that's already failing? Or are you guys seeing numbers you've never seen before and need more people?" And, if so, "What did you do to see those numbers?"

What does the company's future look like?

My fifth question is my favorite. It's, "What's the company's three-year, five-year, and 10-year plan?" I love this one because I've never walked into a job and thought, "I'm only going to be here for one year," or "I'm only doing this to collect a paycheck." I always say, "Think like the CEO." I never want to go into a job and strive to just be an associate. That's just where you start.

All you really need — or maybe have time for — is one of these questions. So many people on my TikTok said, "That is too many questions. You're so high maintenance." I was like, "Just use one of them, and they'll be blown away." Because you're starting a whole other conversation that doesn't have to do with their questions for you. These are just concepts that I hope people can take with them as they go — little nuggets — to nail these interviews.

Watch: Marketing leaders from Amazon, LinkedIn, Lego Group and more tell Insider what pandemic-fueled business changes are likely to stick around

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Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes painful cuts to close California’s growing budget deficit

California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveils his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveils his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., Friday, May 10, 2024. California has a budget deficit of $27.6 billion, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday — a gap so wide that he’s proposing eliminating 10,000 vacant state jobs and cutting spending across 260 state programs. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveils his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., Friday, May 10, 2024. Newsom said the state’s budget deficit has grown by $7 billion. In January, Newsom said the deficit was nearly $38 billion. However, in March Newsom and lawmakers agreed on some actions to reduce that deficit by $17.3 billion. Now, Newsom says the remaining deficit is $27.6 billion (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s budget deficit is at least $45 billion, a shortfall so large it prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday to propose painful spending cuts impacting immigrants, kindergarteners and low-income parents seeking child care in a state often lauded for having the world’s fifth-largest economy.

Officially, Newsom said the state’s deficit is $27.6 billion. But really, it’s closer to $45 billion when including previous spending reductions that Newsom and the state Legislature agreed to in March. Including reductions in public education spending, which Newsom has not included, the deficit would be even billions of dollars more, according to recent analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.

The size of the deficit is important as it will shape the national perspectives of Newsom, who is a top surrogate for President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign and who is widely believed to harbor presidential aspirations of his own. Newsom has spent much of his time in office basking in the glow of historic budget surpluses that allowed him to greatly expand state spending. But back-to-back budget deficits — with more on the horizon — are testing California’s commitment to those increases.

So far, Newsom has not gutted some of his splashiest policy advancements, including free kindergarten for all 4-year-olds and free health insurance for all low-income adults regardless of their immigration status. But as Friday’s proposal showed, Newsom is willing to chip away at some of those promises to balance the budget.

While Newsom has not taken away health insurance from anyone, he proposed the state stop paying for health care workers to care for some 14,000 disabled immigrants in their home. That would save the state $94.7 million. While he hasn’t pulled back the state’s commitment to expanded kindergarten, he proposed eliminating $550 million that would have helped school districts build the facilities they need to teach all of those extra students.

After promising to pay for child care for another 146,000 children from low-income families, Newsom on Friday proposed pausing that expansion at 119,000. And after promising to boost how much money doctor’s get to treat Medicaid patients , Newsom on Friday proposed canceling $6.7 billion that had been set aside to do that.

The cuts prompted outrage from across the political and ideological spectrum. Anthony Wright, executive director of the consumer advocacy group Health Access California, said the removal of in-home care for immigrants with disabilities would result in those people becoming “further impoverished or end up in much more expensive nursing home care.”

Yolanda Thomas, a member of the Child Care Providers United negotiations team, said cutting the child care slots means “we cannot build a stronger economy when our lowest paid workers ... don’t have somewhere safe to send their children during their shifts.”

For every question on Friday, Newsom had a similar response.

“I prefer not to make this cut. These are programs, propositions that I have long advanced, many of them,” he said. “But you’ve got to do it. You have to be responsible.”

Before the coronavirus pandemic, California’s revenues were growing at about 5% per year. From 2019-20 through 2021-22, revenues grew an astounding 55%. That’s because California got a lot of money from the federal government to blunt the impact of the pandemic. And it’s because the stock market had historic increases, fueling a rapid expansion of wealth among California’s richest residents — generating a tax windfall for the state .

State budgeting is a guessing game, where governors and lawmakers have to predict how much money they will have and plan to spend it. Following the bountiful years of the pandemic, California’s guesses have been way off. The Newsom administration now predicts state revenues will be $83.1 billion lower than they thought for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 fiscal years.

“If you knew that those were unrealistically high and totally unsustainable revenue levels, why wouldn’t you put a little bit more in the reserves,” said state Sen. Roger Niello, a Republican and vice chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. “If that’s the case, you know it’s going to come crashing down and you are going to have a big deficit to cover.”

Newsom defended California’s previous budget actions, noting the state Constitution required the state to return a big chunk of that surplus to taxpayers in the form of rebates. Newsom said it “provided a lot of support at the time to people who needed money.”

“I feel like we were doing the best we could under that circumstance,” he said.

Newsom on Friday repeatedly vowed he would not sign a sweeping tax increase on individuals. But he did propose suspending a popular tax deduction for businesses, which many see as a tax increase.

In total, Newsom is proposing $32.8 billion in cuts over two years, including eliminating 10,000 unfilled state jobs and an 8% cut to state operations — including things like eliminating landlines. He promised there would be no layoffs, furloughs or salary cuts for the state’s more than 221,000 state workers.

Democratic legislators applauded Newsom’s effort to deal with multiple years of deficits and vowed to protect spending for social safety net fundings and classrooms.

“Nobody knows what challenges California may face, so we must always stay prepared,” Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Assembly Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel said in a joint statement. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Newsom proposed eliminating $550 million for school facilities, not $500 million.

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The Sunday Read: ‘Why Did This Guy Put a Song About Me on Spotify?’

The answer involves a remarkable — and lucrative, and ridiculous — scheme to game the way we find music today..

By Brett Martin

Read by Eric Jason Martin

Produced by Adrienne Hurst and Aaron Esposito

Narration produced by Tanya Pérez and Krish Seenivasan

Edited by John Woo

Original music by Aaron Esposito

Engineered by Sophia Lanman and Devin Murphy

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Have you heard the song “Brett Martin, You a Nice Man, Yes”?

Probably not. On Spotify, “Brett Martin, You a Nice Man, Yes” has not yet accumulated enough streams to even register a tally. Even Brett Martin, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and the titular Nice Man, didn’t hear the 1 minute 14 second song until last summer, a full 11 years after it was uploaded by an artist credited as Papa Razzi and the Photogs.

When Martin stumbled on “Brett Martin, You a Nice Man, Yes,” he naturally assumed it was about a different, more famous Brett Martin: perhaps Brett Martin, the left-handed reliever who until recently played for the Texas Rangers; or Brett Martin, the legendary Australian squash player; or even Clara Brett Martin, the Canadian who in 1897 became the British Empire’s first female lawyer. Only when the singer began referencing details of stories that he made for public radio’s “This American Life” almost 20 years ago did he realize the song was actually about him. The song ended, “I really like you/Will you be my friend?/Will you call me on the phone?” Then it gave a phone number, with a New Hampshire area code.

So, he called.

There are a lot of ways to listen to ‘The Daily.’ Here’s how.

We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at [email protected] . Follow Michael Barbaro on X: @mikiebarb . And if you’re interested in advertising with The Daily, write to us at [email protected] .

Additional production for The Sunday Read was contributed by Isabella Anderson, Anna Diamond, Sarah Diamond, Elena Hecht, Emma Kehlbeck, Tanya Pérez, Frannie Carr Toth and Krish Seenivasan.

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