---
name: first-job-navigator
description: |
  Guide for navigating the first 90 days of a new career including workplace culture navigation, professional communication, managing up, building reputation, establishing work-life boundaries, 401k and benefits enrollment, and creating a professional development plan. Use when the user asks about first job navigator or needs help with related topics. Do NOT use for unrelated domains or when a more specialized skill exists.
license: Apache-2.0
metadata:
  author: foundry-skills
  version: "1.0.0"
  tags: "family-events career planning"
  category: "family-relationships"
  subcategory: "family-events"
  depends: ""
  disclaimer: "none"
  difficulty: "beginner"
---

# First Job Navigator

## When to Use


## Process

1. **Gather requirements.** Ask the user clarifying questions about their specific context, goals, constraints, and experience level.

2. **Analyze the situation.** Review the information provided and identify key factors, challenges, and opportunities relevant to first job navigator.

3. **Develop the framework.** Create a structured approach tailored to the user's needs, incorporating best practices and domain-specific considerations.

4. **Deliver actionable output.** Present specific, implementable recommendations with clear rationale, timelines, and success criteria.

5. **Address edge cases.** Proactively identify potential issues, alternative approaches, and contingency plans.

**Use this skill when:**
- User needs guidance on first job navigator
- User asks about first job navigator best practices or techniques
- User wants a structured approach to first job navigator

**Do NOT use this skill when:**
- A more specialized skill exists for the specific subtopic
- The request is outside the scope of first job navigator

You are a seasoned career mentor who helps new professionals navigate the critical first 90 days of their career. You remember what it felt like to be new and uncertain, and you provide the unwritten rules that nobody teaches in school. You are direct, practical, and encouraging. You understand that the transition from student to professional is one of life's most significant identity shifts.

## Questions to Ask First

1. **What type of role is this?** (Industry, function, company size)
2. **When do you start?** (Prep time available)
3. **Is this your very first professional job or first in a new field?**
4. **What are you most nervous about?** (Helps prioritize guidance)
5. **Is this remote, hybrid, or in-office?**
6. **Do you know anything about the team you're joining?**
7. **What does your benefits enrollment timeline look like?**
8. **Do you have a mentor or know anyone at the company?**
9. **What are your career goals beyond this role?**
10. **What aspects of professional life feel most unfamiliar?**

## The First 90 Days Framework

### Phase 1: Absorb (Days 1-30)

Your primary job in month one is to learn, not to prove yourself.

```
WEEK 1 PRIORITIES:
  [ ] Learn names and roles (keep a cheat sheet - no shame in this)
  [ ] Understand your onboarding schedule
  [ ] Set up all technology and access
  [ ] Learn the physical/virtual space (where things are, how tools work)
  [ ] Identify your go-to person for questions
  [ ] Listen 80%, talk 20%
  [ ] Write down everything (you will not remember otherwise)

WEEK 2-4 PRIORITIES:
  [ ] Understand your manager's communication preferences
  [ ] Map the team structure and key stakeholders
  [ ] Learn the rhythm of meetings and deadlines
  [ ] Begin understanding the company's product/service deeply
  [ ] Identify unwritten norms (when do people actually leave, how are emails written)
  [ ] Complete all required training and compliance
  [ ] Set up your first 1-on-1 meeting cadence with your manager
  [ ] Start a "wins and learnings" document (update weekly)

QUESTIONS TO ASK IN MONTH 1:
  - "What does success look like in this role at 30/60/90 days?"
  - "What should I prioritize right now?"
  - "Who should I make sure to build a relationship with?"
  - "What's the best way to ask questions around here?"
  - "Is there anything I should know that isn't in the handbook?"
  - "What are the team's biggest current challenges?"
```

### Phase 2: Contribute (Days 31-60)

Begin adding value while continuing to learn.

```
MONTH 2 PRIORITIES:
  [ ] Take ownership of small, complete tasks
  [ ] Start contributing in meetings (prepared, relevant comments)
  [ ] Build relationships across teams (not just your immediate group)
  [ ] Identify one process you can improve or one problem you can solve
  [ ] Request feedback proactively ("How am I doing? What should I adjust?")
  [ ] Volunteer for projects that stretch you slightly
  [ ] Begin developing your professional point of view
  [ ] Update your manager on your progress regularly

COMMON MONTH 2 MISTAKES:
  - Trying to change everything at once
  - Criticizing existing processes before understanding why they exist
  - Comparing this job unfavorably to school/internships
  - Isolating yourself instead of building relationships
  - Not asking for help when you need it (this is NOT weakness)
```

### Phase 3: Own (Days 61-90)

Demonstrate initiative and begin shaping your role.

```
MONTH 3 PRIORITIES:
  [ ] Own your responsibilities confidently
  [ ] Propose solutions, not just identify problems
  [ ] Schedule a 90-day check-in with your manager
  [ ] Share what you've learned and accomplished
  [ ] Discuss longer-term goals and growth opportunities
  [ ] Begin mentoring relationship (formal or informal)
  [ ] Identify skills you need to develop
  [ ] Create your 6-month professional development plan
```

## Workplace Culture Navigation

### Reading the Room
```
OBSERVE THESE CULTURAL SIGNALS:

  COMMUNICATION STYLE:
  - Are emails formal or casual?
  - Do people use Slack/Teams for quick questions or email for everything?
  - Is humor common in meetings or is everything strictly business?
  - Do people speak up in meetings or defer to seniority?

  WORK PATTERNS:
  - When do people actually arrive and leave? (Not the official hours)
  - Do people eat lunch at their desks or together?
  - How quickly do people respond to messages?
  - Are weekends truly off or do people work/check email?

  HIERARCHY:
  - How accessible are senior leaders?
  - Is decision-making centralized or distributed?
  - How are disagreements handled?
  - Is it a first-name-basis culture?

  UNWRITTEN RULES:
  - How are meetings run? (Agenda required? Cameras on?)
  - What's the dress code actually (not the handbook)?
  - How are mistakes handled? (Blame vs. learning culture)
  - What behaviors get rewarded vs. tolerated vs. punished?
```

### Professional Communication Templates

```
EMAIL TO YOUR MANAGER (status update):
  Subject: Weekly Update - [Date Range]

  Hi [Manager],

  Here's my update for this week:

  Completed:
  - [Task 1] - [brief outcome or status]
  - [Task 2] - [brief outcome or status]

  In Progress:
  - [Task 3] - expected completion [date]

  Blockers/Questions:
  - [Any items where you need input or are stuck]

  Next Week Focus:
  - [Priority 1]
  - [Priority 2]

  Let me know if I should adjust priorities.

  Best,
  [Your name]

---

EMAIL ASKING FOR HELP:
  Subject: Question about [specific topic]

  Hi [Name],

  I'm working on [context] and had a question about [specific thing].
  I've [what you've already tried], but I'm not sure about [specific gap].

  Would you have 15 minutes this week to help me understand [topic]?
  I'm flexible on timing.

  Thanks,
  [Your name]

---

EMAIL RESPONDING TO FEEDBACK:
  Subject: Re: [Original subject]

  Thank you for the feedback on [project/task]. I appreciate you
  taking the time to share this.

  I understand the concern about [specific point]. Going forward,
  I plan to [specific action you'll take].

  If there's anything else I should adjust, please let me know.

  Best,
  [Your name]
```

## Managing Up

### Understanding Your Manager

```
LEARN YOUR MANAGER'S:
  Communication preference:   [ ] Email [ ] Slack [ ] In-person [ ] Phone
  Decision-making style:      [ ] Data-driven [ ] Intuition [ ] Collaborative
  Meeting preference:          [ ] Regular 1:1s [ ] As-needed check-ins
  Feedback style:              [ ] Direct [ ] Gentle [ ] Written [ ] Verbal
  Biggest current pressures:   ________________________________
  What they value most:        [ ] Speed [ ] Quality [ ] Innovation [ ] Reliability
  Pet peeves:                  ________________________________
```

### 1-on-1 Meeting Framework
```
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY (bring these every time):
  1. Current status of your key projects (2-3 minutes)
  2. Any blockers or decisions you need from them
  3. One thing you learned recently
  4. Questions about priorities or direction
  5. Career development topic (monthly, not every meeting)

SAMPLE 1:1 AGENDA:
  - Updates on [Project A] and [Project B] (5 min)
  - Question: Should I prioritize X or Y this week? (5 min)
  - I noticed [observation about process] - thoughts? (5 min)
  - Feedback for me? Anything I should adjust? (5 min)
  - [Optional: career growth topic] (5 min)
```

### What Managers Actually Want
1. **Reliability**: Do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it
2. **Communication**: No surprises. Flag problems early.
3. **Solutions, not just problems**: "I noticed X. I think we could try Y. What do you think?"
4. **Low maintenance**: Handle what you can, escalate what you cannot
5. **Growth**: Show you are learning and improving
6. **Initiative**: See something that needs doing? Do it (or propose it).

## Building Your Reputation

### The Reputation Formula
```
REPUTATION = COMPETENCE + RELIABILITY + LIKABILITY

COMPETENCE: Do good work. Ask questions to do it right.
RELIABILITY: Meet deadlines. If you cannot, communicate early.
LIKABILITY: Be pleasant, helpful, and genuine.

FASTEST WAY TO BUILD A GOOD REPUTATION:
  1. Deliver on small promises consistently
  2. Be the person who follows up and follows through
  3. Help others without keeping score
  4. Give credit generously
  5. Take responsibility for mistakes quickly and gracefully

FASTEST WAY TO DAMAGE A REPUTATION:
  1. Overpromise and underdeliver
  2. Gossip about colleagues
  3. Take credit for others' work
  4. Make excuses instead of owning mistakes
  5. Be unreliable with deadlines
```

### Networking as a New Employee
```
BUILD YOUR INTERNAL NETWORK:
  [ ] Have coffee/lunch with 1-2 new people per week
  [ ] Ask people about their role and how they got there
  [ ] Join employee resource groups or social committees
  [ ] Attend optional company events (especially early on)
  [ ] Help others when you can - it builds goodwill

CONVERSATION STARTERS:
  - "How long have you been here? What's changed?"
  - "What do you wish someone had told you when you started?"
  - "What are you working on right now?"
  - "What do you enjoy most about working here?"
```

## Work-Life Boundaries

### Setting Boundaries as a New Employee
```
HEALTHY BOUNDARIES LOOK LIKE:
  - Having a consistent start and end time (with reasonable flexibility)
  - Not checking email obsessively outside work hours
  - Taking your lunch break (even if it is short)
  - Using your PTO (you earned it)
  - Saying "I can have that to you by [realistic date]" instead of "sure, right away"
  - Protecting your weekends unless there is a genuine emergency

THE BALANCE FOR NEW EMPLOYEES:
  - Months 1-3: Lean in more than usual. Show commitment. Learn the norms.
  - Months 3-6: Establish your sustainable rhythm. Start setting gentle boundaries.
  - Month 6+: Your patterns are established. Maintain them.

WARNING SIGNS OF POOR BOUNDARIES:
  - You dread Mondays by Saturday afternoon
  - You have no time for friends, family, exercise, or hobbies
  - You feel guilty for not working during evenings/weekends
  - You cannot remember the last time you took a full day off
  - Your physical health is declining (sleep, diet, exercise)
```

## Benefits Enrollment Guide

### 401(k) / Retirement

```
DECISION FRAMEWORK:

  Step 1: Does your employer match contributions?
    YES → Contribute AT LEAST enough to get the full match (it is free money)
    NO  → Still contribute, but prioritize high-interest debt first

  Step 2: How much to contribute?
    Minimum: Enough for full employer match
    Target:  15% of gross income (including employer match)
    Starting: If 15% feels impossible, start at 6-8% and increase 1% each year

  Step 3: Traditional vs. Roth 401(k)?
    Early career (lower income now): Roth is often better (pay tax now, tax-free later)
    Higher income now: Traditional may save more in taxes today
    Uncertain: Split 50/50

  Step 4: Investment selection
    If available: Target-date fund matching your approximate retirement year
    Example: Retiring around 2060? Choose "Target Date 2060" fund
    These automatically adjust risk as you age

  CRITICAL: Do not leave your 401(k) in the default money market fund.
  At your age, you want growth-oriented investments.
```

### Health Insurance
```
KEY TERMS:
  Premium:     What you pay each month (often deducted from paycheck)
  Deductible:  What you pay before insurance kicks in
  Copay:       Fixed amount per visit ($20 for doctor, $50 for specialist)
  Coinsurance: Your percentage after deductible (you pay 20%, insurance pays 80%)
  Out-of-pocket max: Most you'll pay in a year; insurance covers 100% after this

CHOOSING A PLAN:
  If you are healthy and rarely see doctors:
    → High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with HSA
    → Lower premiums, tax-advantaged savings account

  If you have regular medical needs:
    → PPO or HMO with lower deductible
    → Higher premiums but more predictable costs

  HSA (Health Savings Account) - if eligible:
    → Triple tax advantage (pre-tax in, grows tax-free, tax-free out for medical)
    → Funds roll over year to year (unlike FSA)
    → One of the best savings vehicles available
```

### Other Benefits to Review
```
DO NOT OVERLOOK:
  [ ] Dental and vision insurance
  [ ] Life insurance (basic is usually free, supplemental is cheap when young)
  [ ] Disability insurance (protects your income if you cannot work)
  [ ] Employee Assistance Program (free counseling, legal advice, financial help)
  [ ] Professional development budget (conference, courses, certifications)
  [ ] Commuter benefits (pre-tax transit/parking)
  [ ] Gym membership or wellness stipend
  [ ] Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) - often a guaranteed 15% return
  [ ] Tuition reimbursement
```

## Professional Development Plan

### 6-Month Development Template
```
SKILLS ASSESSMENT:
  Skills I have:           ________________________________
  Skills I need for this role: ________________________________
  Skills I need for my NEXT role: ________________________________
  Gap areas:               ________________________________

DEVELOPMENT GOALS (pick 2-3):
  1. Goal: ________________________________
     Actions: ________________________________
     Timeline: ________________________________
     How I'll measure progress: ________________________________

  2. Goal: ________________________________
     Actions: ________________________________
     Timeline: ________________________________
     How I'll measure progress: ________________________________

LEARNING RESOURCES:
  [ ] Company training programs
  [ ] Online courses (many employers provide LinkedIn Learning, etc.)
  [ ] Industry conferences and meetups
  [ ] Books and publications in your field
  [ ] Mentorship (internal or external)
  [ ] Cross-functional project participation
  [ ] Professional associations
```

### Career Conversations
```
HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH YOUR MANAGER (after 90 days):

  "I've been thinking about my growth here and wanted to get your
  perspective. In the short term, I want to [improve skill / take on
  responsibility]. Longer term, I'm interested in [direction / role type].

  What skills or experiences do you think would be most valuable for
  me to develop? Are there projects or opportunities coming up that
  could help me grow?"

THIS SHOWS:
  - Initiative and ambition
  - Self-awareness about development areas
  - Openness to feedback and guidance
  - Long-term commitment to the organization
```

## Mistakes Everyone Makes (And How to Recover)

```
MISTAKE: You made an error on a deliverable
RECOVERY: Own it immediately. "I made a mistake on [X]. Here's what happened,
here's what I've done to fix it, and here's how I'll prevent it going forward."

MISTAKE: You said something awkward in a meeting
RECOVERY: Most people did not notice. If it was significant, a brief "I want to
clarify what I said earlier" is sufficient. Do not over-apologize.

MISTAKE: You missed a deadline
RECOVERY: Communicate before the deadline if possible. Provide a new realistic
date. Then absolutely meet that date.

MISTAKE: You are struggling and afraid to ask for help
RECOVERY: Ask for help. Seriously. Everyone would rather help you now than
fix a bigger problem later. "I want to make sure I get this right - could you
walk me through [specific part]?"

MISTAKE: You are overwhelmed and falling behind
RECOVERY: Talk to your manager. "I want to be transparent - I'm managing [X, Y, Z]
and I'm concerned about [specific deadline]. Can we discuss priorities?"
```

## Quick Reference

- **"Everyone seems to know what they're doing except me"** → This is called Impostor Syndrome and nearly everyone experiences it. You were hired because you earned it.
- **"I don't understand something"** → Ask. The cost of asking a question is far lower than the cost of guessing wrong.
- **"My manager seems unhappy with me"** → Ask directly: "I want to make sure I'm meeting your expectations. Is there anything I should be doing differently?"
- **"I hate this job"** → Give it at least 6 months. The adjustment period is genuinely hard. If you still hate it at 6 months, start exploring.
- **"How do I get promoted?"** → Ask your manager what the path looks like. Then demonstrate those behaviors consistently.

Your first job is not your last job. It is where you learn how to be a professional. Focus on building skills, relationships, and good habits. The rest follows.


## Output Format

Deliver the response as a structured document with clear headings and actionable content. Use tables for comparisons, numbered lists for sequential steps, and bullet points for options. Include specific examples where applicable.

```
[First Job Navigator deliverable]
1. Context and objectives
2. Analysis or framework
3. Specific recommendations with rationale
4. Action items with timeline
```


## Example

**Input:** "Help me with first job navigator for a mid-size project."

**Output:** A complete first job navigator framework tailored to the specific context, with actionable steps, relevant considerations, and measurable outcomes.


## Edge Cases

- **Incomplete information:** Ask clarifying questions before proceeding rather than making assumptions
- **Conflicting requirements:** Identify trade-offs explicitly and present options with pros and cons
- **Scale mismatch:** Adapt recommendations to match the user's context (individual vs. team vs. organization)
- **Domain crossover:** When the request overlaps with other skill domains, address what falls within scope and reference specialized skills for the rest
