Should You Put Your COVID Vaccination Status on Your Résumé?

According to current federal guidelines for workplace safety during the pandemic, employers likely would not be considered to be discriminating if they evaluate résumés based on vaccination status, as long as they make allowances for applicants with sincerely held religious beliefs or medical conditions that prevent them from getting vaccinated. The federal law governing the privacy of personal medical information also does not prohibit employers from inquiring about vaccination status.

These federal vaccination regulations are being challenged in courts, and some state and local governments have enacted their own laws regarding vaccination mandates. What’s clear right now is that many employers are thinking about vaccination status when they look for applicants.

How to use your résumé to show you’re vaccinated

While the role COVID vaccination status plays in the hiring process is still taking shape, there already are some practices job seekers can use to share that information with hiring managers.

For example, if you choose to disclose your vaccination status, make sure to list it near the top of your résumé so employers can see it quickly. And use terminology that is likely to be recognized by any software programs that might be screening résumés before a person sees them. For example, use the words “vaccinated” and “COVID-19” or “Covid 19.” Avoid terms like “vax,” “vaxxed” or any of the other expressions people use in conversation or on social media.

“Disclosing your vaccination status on your résumé and other job-application materials is a personal choice,” says Augustine. “However, if you’re vaccinated against COVID-19 and comfortable sharing that information, it’s best to add this detail to both your résumé and LinkedIn profile so you are less likely to be passed over for opportunities by employers who have prioritized that requirement. It can be as simple as adding the blurb 'Fully vaccinated against COVID-19’ at the end of your résumé’s professional summary and the summary section of your LinkedIn profile.”

If you’re adding your vaccination status to your résumé, consider also using this moment as another opportunity to review how well your résumé matches the skills listed in the description of the job for which you are applying. Just as your résumé should include keywords from the job posting that also match your skills, it also should reference any details the employer provides about the health and safety protocols for its employees and workplace.

And, whether you’re vaccinated or not, it also would be wise to review your pages on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram to make sure you haven’t posted content that might conflict with potential employers’ positions on the vaccines or mandates.

What to do if you’re not vaccinated

Many employers already are requiring their workers to be vaccinated, and that number could grow significantly in the months ahead. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) recently released guidelines that, starting Jan. 4, will require all businesses with 100 or more workers to have all of their employees either vaccinated or taking weekly COVID-19 tests. And at all health care facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid, all workers will have to be vaccinated, without the option to be tested weekly instead.

Although this federal mandate faces several legal challenges, many large employers are enacting vaccination requirements of their own. That means that if you are not yet vaccinated, you may need to be more selective in your job search process.

“If you are not vaccinated, your best bet is to target opportunities with smaller companies who won’t be affected by the new mandate [or] that don’t mention a vaccine requirement in their job listings,” Augustine says.

You may also want to explore remote-work opportunities or work that mostly is outdoors, where your vaccination status may be less relevant.