The Syracuse Pen

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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.

Graduates: You’re good enough. But is that enough?

Congratulations!

You’ve finished college, passed all your courses, and are ready to start on your fabulous career. You see an ad for the perfect position, and you meet all the requirements they’re asking for. It’s almost as if this job was created specifically for your education level, skills, objectives, and experience. Nothing to do but submit your résumé, dream about the prosperity that is your destiny, and wait for the phone to ring.

So… why isn’t it ringing?

College was straightforward: Meet the professor’s expectations, complete the work, and demonstrate mastery of the subject. Everybody can pass if they follow these rules.

The rules for a successful job search are different from those of the successful academic career. There’s only room for one person to succeed with any one job opening, and you don’t get an offer — or even an interview — just by being qualified.

So how do you get noticed?

You get it by being better than everyone else who is also qualified. You get it by standing out from the crowd. You get it with the résumé, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile that overshadow those of your competitors. Because sure, you can submit your application that checks off all the boxes and demonstrates what makes you a good fit for the position. But that’s not enough: What makes you the best fit for that position? How can you present that information to market yourself effectively and grab the attention of recruiters?

These are the questions I pose to recent graduates who come to me for assistance with their job searches. We work together to prepare a package that elevates them above the crowd of other recent graduates who got the same career center advice at the same time, or used the same AI program to generate the same generic cover letter, and are sitting around wondering why they’re not getting any offers.

Because being as good as everyone else is nice, I guess, but it’s no way to get ahead. My job is to help you get ahead.

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

Greg Maranograduate, college, resume, linkedin, cover letter