The Syracuse Pen

Making Words Work for You

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.

Your résumé is an ad for you. But don't make it all about you.

You wouldn’t buy a product based on the seller’s needs. So why would you try to sell yourself based on your own objectives? This is the mistake too many people continue to make with their résumés.

Let’s say you need a new dentist, and you see two consecutive commercials on TV for local dentists. Here’s what the commercials say:

“Dr. Alphonse has been practicing for 20 years, and is consistently named among the top 10 dentists in the tri-state area. His office is equipped with the latest technology, and his staff is always friendly and courteous, ensuring you leave every appointment with a smile.”

“Dr. Bravado’s goal is to increase his number of patients by 20% this year. He’s looking for patients who can help him hone his skills in abscess removal and improve revenue so he can give his well-deserving hygienist a raise.”

Which dentist will you be trusting with your teeth? In all likelihood, you’re much more concerned with the quality of service you can expect from the dentist (what he can do for you) than with what his goals are (what you can do for him). Dr. Bravado’s objectives for his practice are less compelling than Dr. Alphonse’s ability to deliver for you.

So why do people still insist on opening their résumés with objective statements? A résumé is, at its core, an advertisement for you. You’re selling yourself to prospective employers, convincing them to invest their resources in hiring you. Their objective is to hire a strong candidate; your objective is irrelevant.

That’s why the objective statement, traditionally placed at the top of a résumé to let a prospective employer know your goals, has largely been phased out. An employer doesn’t care what they can do for your career any more than you care about what you can do for your dentist. You want to know what your dentist can do for you. Similarly, an employer reading your résumé cares about what you can do for the company.

Instead of a statement of their own objectives, you’d be better off with a professional summary statement headlining your résumé. It tells the reader who you are, what you can do, and why you are the best candidate for the job. Make sure the reader knows immediately what you’re capable of. And make it absolutely clear that hiring you would be the right move—more for them than for you.

 

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Greg Marano