Checklist · Career
First 90 Days in a New Developer Job: Checklist
Opens with creditsA practical checklist for your first 90 days as a software developer in a new job. It covers preparing before day one, getting access and a working setup in week one, shipping a first small change, learning how work is planned and reviewed, working with your manager, and asking for feedback at day 30, 60 and 90.
Written by Tauseef Fayyaz7 chapters, 32 checksAbout 19 minReviewed 12 October 2026What you will learn
7 chapters · about 19 min
1Before day one and week one: access, setup and peopleGet the logistics out of the way, get a working development setup, and meet the people you will work with most.5 checks · 4 min
- 1Confirm your start time, manager, equipment and first-day plan before day one
- 2List every system you need access to and chase the gaps in week one
- 3Get the project running locally and fix the setup docs as you go
- 4Meet your onboarding buddy and each teammate in your first two weeks
- 5Learn where the team talks, decides and asks for help
5 in this chapterOpen this chapter2Learn the codebase and ship a first small changeHow to build a mental map of the system and get a small, real change reviewed and merged in your first weeks.6 checks · 4 min
- 1Draw a rough map of the main services, data stores and how a request flows
- 2Trace one real feature end to end with a debugger or logs
- 3Ask for a small, well-defined starter task in your first week or two
- 4Keep your first pull request small and about one thing
- 5Write a pull request description that says what changed and why
- 6Respond to every review comment and treat it as teaching
6 in this chapterOpen this chapter- How work is planned, reviewed and shippedLearn the team process around the code: planning, definitions of done, code review and deployment.4 checks · 2 minOpens with credits
- Your manager, 1:1s and expectationsHow to set clear expectations with your manager and use 1:1s well from the first week.4 checks · 2 minOpens with credits
- Document what you learn and ask good questionsKeep notes that save you and the next new hire time, and ask questions that are fast to answer.5 checks · 3 minOpens with credits
- Feedback at day 30, 60 and 90Ask for feedback on purpose at three points instead of waiting for a formal review.4 checks · 2 minOpens with credits
- Common early mistakes to avoidMistakes new developers often make in their first months, and what to do instead.4 checks · 2 minOpens with credits
About this checklist
Your first 90 days in a new developer job set how your team sees you for months. Nobody expects you to know the codebase on day one: GitLab's own onboarding guide says it does not expect anyone to hit the ground running, and plans at least two full weeks of onboarding. What people do notice is whether you get set up quickly, ask clear questions, ship a small change early and learn how the team works.
This checklist breaks the first 90 days into the order things happen. It starts before day one and in week one (access, local setup, meeting people), then moves to learning the codebase and getting a first small pull request merged. Later chapters cover how work is planned, reviewed and deployed, how to work with your manager through 1:1s, how to document what you learn, how to ask good questions, how to get feedback at day 30, 60 and 90, and the common mistakes new developers make.
The advice draws on public engineering onboarding guides, Google's engineering practices for code review, research on how new developers onboard at Microsoft, and well-known writing on 1:1s and asking questions. It applies whether this is your first job after university, an internship, or a move to a new company as an experienced engineer.
Common questions
What should I do in my first week as a software developer?
Get access to every system you need, get the project running locally, and meet your buddy, manager and teammates. Learn where the team asks questions and makes decisions. If you can, fix something in the setup docs as your first small contribution.
How long does it take a new developer to become productive?
It depends on the team and codebase, so ask your manager what they expect. GitLab, for example, plans at least two full weeks of onboarding before team-specific training. A common goal is first small changes merged in the first month and normal-sized tasks by around day 60.
How do I ask questions at a new job without looking incompetent?
Try for a set time first, then ask with context: what you were doing, what you tried and what happened. Stating your current understanding and asking "is that right?" makes questions quick to answer. Asking in team channels also helps the next new hire.
What should I ask my manager in our first 1:1?
Ask what success looks like at 30, 60 and 90 days, how they like to give and receive feedback, how you should flag when you are stuck, and how often you will meet. Write the answers down in a shared 1:1 document.
What is a 30-60-90 day plan for a developer?
It is a short list of goals for each stage. By day 30, setup done and first changes merged. By day 60, delivering normal tasks with less help. By day 90, owning a small area end to end. Draft it yourself and agree it with your manager.
Sources (6)
Checked against these, last on 12 October 2026.
- The complete guide to remote onboarding for new-hires, GitLab Handbookhandbook.gitlab.com/handbook/company/culture/all-remote/onboarding/
- Small CLs, Google Engineering Practicesgoogle.github.io/eng-practices/review/developer/small-cls.html
- Writing good CL descriptions, Google Engineering Practicesgoogle.github.io/eng-practices/review/developer/cl-descriptions.html
- Please Turn Your Cameras On: Remote Onboarding of Software Developers during a Pandemic, Microsoft Research, ICSE 2021arxiv.org/abs/2011.08130
- Questions for our first 1:1, Lara Hoganlarahogan.me/blog/first-one-on-one-questions/
- How to ask good questions, Julia Evansjvns.ca/blog/good-questions/
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