Proficiency Check | Own Your Onboarding

So, you landed the job. You signed the offer, celebrated, maybe cried a little (good tears), and now the reality is setting in—you’re starting soon.

If you’re lucky, your company might have an official onboarding plan: a few trainings, some check-ins, maybe even a buddy system. That’s great! But here’s the truth: even if your new employer has a plan for you, you still need to make one for yourself.

Let’s talk about why—and how.

1. You’re the CEO of Your Career

Your company can (and should) help you succeed, but it’s not their job to steer your long-term growth. Their onboarding plan is a plan for their priorities, not necessarily yours.

Creating your own plan helps you focus on what they need from you and what you want from this role. It’s about being intentional and laying the groundwork for what comes next. You might be dreamy-eyed about your new job, but when those rose-colored glasses fall, what will you want next? Considering this answer helps you know how to strategically use your new role to move toward the larger goal.

2. Their Plan Will Never Be Personalized Enough

Company onboarding plans can be one-size-fits-all. They might tell you the company's history, business model, how to submit your timesheet, and the specifics of your job—but not how to thrive there.

Making your own plan fills in the gaps:

What do you want to learn in the first week? The first 30 days? First 90?
What relationships do you need to build? What do you want to ask them?
What kind of expectations do you want to set from the beginning?
How do you want to show up? What do you want to be known for here?

That’s the kind of stuff no New Hire Onboarding is going to spell out for you.

3. It Shortens the Time to “Being Awesome”

The business goal of onboarding any employee is to shorten the time it takes to provide value. For a long while you're learning about the company (its systems, its people, the work that's needed, etc.), and learning is vital to being successful in any role. But your success is often determined by how quickly you can get up to speed and enacting changes.

If the company's onboarding plan is insufficient to shortening this time, you have to step up. Consider this a simple 90-day framework:

First 30 days: Learn everything. Soak up how things work, who does what, what tools and systems are in play, and—most importantly—what your boss and their boss actually care about. Resist the urge to enact lots of changes. You may need to start working on things immediately, but resist making changes that could have a lasting impact that you may not understand yet. (For instance, in my new role, I'm not recommending that we suddenly change our authoring tools. I don't have enough information to know if the tools they're using are effective or if they even know how to use the tools I might want to recommend.)
Next 30 days: Find your early wins. Start contributing value in small but visible ways. Maybe you improve a process, organize a shared folder, or simplify a confusing doc. You’re not trying to overhaul anything—just showing you can make things better. Bonus points if your early wins align with your boss's goals.
Final 30 days: Start building structure for strategy. Now that you understand the landscape, this is your time to document what’s missing, streamline processes, and propose smart improvements. Every company wants to grow. Imagine what your team would look like doubled. Would any of the processes currently in place bottleneck? What could you start doing differently so that growth scales in a sustainable way? Present these solutions to your team and boss, include a plan for how to enact them, and get their input/feedback.

Every new hire has a moment when they shift from “learning” to “adding value.” Your goal is to get there faster. By being intentional about what you learn, who you connect with, and where you can help, you start showing ROI (return on investment) earlier. That’s not only great for your confidence and credibility.

4. It Future-Proofs You

I'll be real with you. My recent job change was not on my bingo card for this year. Companies change, teams shift, layoffs happen.

Having your own plan keeps you grounded. You’re not just reacting to what the company gives you—you’re always clear on what you need to grow, so you’re never stuck waiting for someone else to notice or support you.

The Bottom Line:
Your company’s onboarding plan is a good start. But your onboarding plan is your career strategy. It’s how you make sure you’re learning the right things, connecting with the right people, and building the right kind of momentum for where you want to go next.

So don’t just show up for onboarding—own it.