Transition Checklist
Your guide to a successful first 90 days in the private sector
Setting the Foundation for Success
The first 90 days in your new private sector role are critical for establishing your reputation, building relationships, and setting yourself up for long-term success. This transition period requires careful planning and strategic action. Use this checklist to navigate your transition effectively and make a strong impression in your new organization.
Accelerate Integration
Quickly adapt to your new organization's culture, processes, and expectations
Transfer Skills Effectively
Apply your federal experience in ways that deliver immediate value
Build Key Relationships
Develop a strong network within your new organization from day one
Demonstrate Early Impact
Identify opportunities to contribute meaningfully and show your value
Before Your First Day
Prepare thoroughly before starting your new role to hit the ground running:
Administrative Preparation
Research & Preparation
Mental & Physical Preparation
First 30 Days: Learning & Observing
Focus on absorbing information, building relationships, and understanding expectations:
Organizational Understanding
Relationship Building
Personal Adaptation
First 30 Days Tip
Resist the urge to make comparisons to your federal role or suggest immediate changes. Instead, focus on understanding why things are done the way they are in your new organization. This period is about learning, not reforming.
Days 31-60: Contributing & Adapting
Begin making meaningful contributions while continuing to adapt to your new environment:
Strategic Alignment
Value Demonstration
Cultural Integration
Days 31-60 Tip
This is the time to start translating your federal experience into private sector value. Look for opportunities to apply your government expertise in ways that solve business problems, but frame your contributions in terms of business outcomes rather than government processes.
Days 61-90: Expanding Impact
Solidify your position and begin making more significant contributions:
Strategic Initiatives
Relationship Expansion
Performance Review Preparation
Days 61-90 Tip
By this point, you should be fully integrated into your new role and organization. Focus on demonstrating your strategic value by connecting your work to business outcomes and looking for opportunities to drive innovation. This is also the time to begin thinking about your longer-term career path in the private sector.
Common Transition Challenges
Be prepared to navigate these typical challenges when moving from federal service to the private sector:
Pace Adjustment
Private sector organizations often operate at a faster pace with shorter decision cycles than federal agencies.
Cultural Translation
Government terminology, processes, and priorities may not resonate in the private sector environment.
Profit Mindset
Adapting to a profit-driven environment after working in mission-focused government roles.
Networking Dynamics
Building a new professional network in an environment with different relationship dynamics.
Additional Resources
These books will help you navigate your transition successfully: