Now that you’ve landed the new job, it’s time to turn your attention to your transition into the new company.  In today’s nimble market, long on-boarding processes are becoming a thing of the past.  Today it is sink or swim, and what you do during the first 30 days lays the foundation for your success – or potential failure – in your new role.  Getting off on the right foot requires foresight and planning to ensure you survive the quick fire challenge.   Here are five simple tips to guide you on your way.

1. Take care of the personal stuff

1. If not handled prior to your new start, it can be a major distraction at a time when you want to focus on making good impressions – so get all your personal stuff done.
2. Take a week or two and do the long overdue medical, dental appointments.  If you are relocating, get it all done BEFORE you start.  You don’t want to start a job and take a lot of time off.
3. Ditto on the child care front.  Be sure to have back-ups and a well-wired situation. First impressions count and tolerance for slipping out will be higher once your personal capital increases.

2. Continue your homework

1. Read the CEO’s book, spend some time in a retail environment checking the competition, read the newspaper diligently—you want to come in knowledgeable.
2. Look up new colleagues on LinkedIn to get a feel for their background and experience and see what you have in common – helps in developing new relationships.

3. Map out a game plan

1. Determine what needs to be accomplished in the first 30 days – understand key deliverables, how things get done, what you are responsible for and identify relationships to cultivate.
2. Anticipate problems or obstacles to your success and consider how you will overcome them.
3. Do 1:1s with key players that you might not be able to pull off later.
4. Get buy-in on your plan with your new manager.

 4. Execute

1. Remain focused on key deliverables and drive results.
2. Be on top of the details early on.
3. Listen more than you speak—assess, learn, ask those questions now when there is tolerance for learning on the job.

 5. Socialize

1. Get to know the people you are working with.
2. Set up coffee and lunch appointments with key members of the management team, thought leaders and peers.

Put these steps in place and you are off to a great start!