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The robots are coming! What’s your plan?

Look out! The robots are coming! Seriously, they’re coming! And they want your job!

… OK, phew. Your job is safe now from automation. That was a close one.

But look out! Budget cuts and layoffs are coming! Watch out for falling axes! Your job is in danger!

… OK, you dodged that one. Good. You can relax; your job is safe, you have a good thing going, your boss is great, and — what? Your boss just took a new position in Charlotte and your new boss is the guy down the hall who’s had it in for you since day one? 

Panic!

… Or don’t panic, if you have a solid exit plan.

Any of these scenarios can be disastrous, and depending on your career, any of them could happen to you. That’s why it’s vital to have an exit plan in place before you need one.

How to prepare

Your exit plan should include:

  1. Having an updated résumé. It should describe your current job, responsibilities, and recent accomplishments.

  2. Keeping your skills up-to-date. Don’t get complacent because your job only requires you to know version 5 of the software. If version 6 is out, you’d better learn version 6, and mark your calendar for the release of version 7.

  3. Maintaining contact with your network. You know other people in your field who work for different companies; check in with them every now and then, connect with them on LinkedIn, have lunch to trade news from other corners of the industry. Know the environment, get their take on which way the winds are blowing, and start thinking about which direction you should set sail if the waters get choppy.

You never know when you will need your exit plan; it may sit in the back of your mind for years until you retire according to your own schedule. If so, mazel tov!

But if something unexpected does happen to throw you off course, an exit plan will let you start your new career path from a place of preparedness and control instead of panic and desperation. And that’s the best way to leave one job: with a firm focus on the next one.

Does your vaccination status belong on your résumé?

The newest thing employers are looking for isn’t your management skills, your technical expertise, or your ability to thrive under pressure. Sure, they want someone who can handle all the demands of the job, but first there’s something else they want to know:

Are you vaccinated?

More and more job postings are specifying that they want employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. And can you blame them? Vaccinated individuals are less likely to miss work due to mandated quarantining, less likely to get sick and need time off, and less likely to end up in the hospital on a company-sponsored health plan.

This may be a thorny question, and some people may feel a medical decision you’ve made is not a prospective employer’s business. There’s validity to that perspective, and you have every right to refuse to share that information with someone considering employing you… just be aware that the company has the legal right to make hiring decisions based on your vaccination status, and on the vaccination status of other applicants. Guess what: If you and your closest competitor have identical résumés, except the competitor shares that they’re vaccinated and you keep that information a secret, they will almost certainly get a call first.

And that’s not because the employer is trying to persecute the unvaccinated or push an agenda or control the population with secret microchips. It’s because a vaccinated employee is a more cost-effective one, and that’s just good business. That’s the decision reached by major employers, including J.P. Morgan Chase and Citibank.

I’ll be honest; it took me a while to get on board with putting vaccination status on client résumés. The résumé is supposed to be a tool to sell you as a strong candidate for employment; it’s not a medical chart, and you don’t need to reveal, explain, or justify your health decisions to anyone. But here’s the thing about résumés: the purpose of a résumé is to convince the reader you would be a good investment. When they know you’ve taken steps to safeguard your health, you’re telling them you’ve taken steps to safeguard their potential investment.

That’s why my advice these days is that if you’re vaccinated, state it directly on the résumé, especially if they ask for it on the job posting. Leave no room for doubt.

If you’re not vaccinated… well, just hope they don’t ask.

The Syracuse Pen provides résumé and cover letter services. Visit our home page for more information about what we can do for you.

Greg Marano