Congratulations, Graduate— you've just landed your first job in the communications profession!!! 🎉 Let's take a look at some steps you should take to help ensure your success.
Your first 90 days are where you build credibility, relationships, and momentum. Here’s a practical, clear roadmap to help you shine in those early months.
Learn the organization’s mission, values, tone, and communication style.
Gather all existing communication materials: brand guides, previous campaigns, press releases, stakeholder maps.
Meet with your manager, direct teammates, cross-functional partners, and anyone who touches communications (HR, marketing, legal, executives).
Ask:
“What’s working well?”
“What gaps do you see in communication?”
“How do you prefer to receive updates from me?”
Work with your manager to define:
Your top 3–5 priorities
What success looks like at 30/60/90 days
How you’ll communicate progress
Evaluate channels: email, intranet, social, newsletters, executive comms.
Identify quick wins you can deliver early (e.g., improving a weekly update, cleaning up templates).
Attend meetings even if optional.
Take notes, ask thoughtful questions, and observe political dynamics.
Draft communications that show your understanding of tone and audience.
Raise the quality bar subtly by demonstrating excellence, not critiquing past work.
Examples:
A communications intake form
A content calendar
Templates for announcements, memos, or social content
Present small but thoughtful recommendations:
Streamlining messaging
Improving employee engagement
Strengthening brand voice consistency
Become the go‑to partner others trust.
Deliver early, follow through consistently, raise concerns respectfully.
Ask your manager or stakeholders:
“Is the work I’m producing aligned with what you expected?”
“Is there anything I should adjust moving forward?”
This could be:
Leading a successful campaign
Improving an internal communication metric
Enhancing executive visibility
Introducing a new reporting dashboard
Make it something that leaves a mark.
Include:
Key initiatives
Proposed improvements
Timelines
KPIs to track
Present more often.
Craft messaging for leadership.
Demonstrate calm, clarity, and strategic thinking.
What processes you created
What results you achieved
What’s still needed
This becomes your foundation for future performance reviews.
Your brand should now be:
Reliable
Strategic
Creative
Organized
A trusted advisor
Great comms pros know how to adapt voice to audience and channel.
⌚ Be a master of time
If you aren't 5 minutes early you are late! Always be respectful of others time. Never be late for meetings, appointments, or deadlines.
Ask: “If I were reading this for the first time, what would I need?”
Shorter, simpler, and more specific almost always wins.
Track engagement, message reach, sentiment, etc.
Communication is people work above all else.
Thanks to Copilot for help in drafting this blog.