People choose to switch jobs for a variety of complex reasons. Maybe your current job isn’t offering opportunities for growth or advancement, or you find your work boring, or you want to make a career switch. You’ve started the job search but haven’t quit your current position yet. How do you navigate a job search when you’re already employed?
No employer wants to hear their employee is looking to leave the company, and they won’t want you to run out of the office for an interview every few hours either. While you shouldn’t lie to your employer about what you’re doing, there are a few ways to navigate a job search without putting your current position in jeopardy. Check out these tips from CareerBuilder’s The Work Buzz on covering your tracks as you job hunt while employed:
Plan interviews carefully. There are only so many reasons you can give to your boss as to why you have to leave the office, so slipping out for a dentist’s appointment every few days isn’t going to cut it. If you’re scheduling networking meetings, try to make them in the early morning, during lunch, or after work to avoid conflict. Interviews can be trickier, but try to arrange them before or after work, or string them all into one day. Overall, it’s unwise to let your job search directly conflict with your current position.
Don’t search for jobs while on the job. Keep your search limited to your own personal computer. Many company computers are monitored for activity that isn’t work-related, so be mindful of the fact that your boss may become aware of what you’re doing. The only exception to this rule: you’ve been laid off with a lot of other employees. In this case, your boss will understand why your job search is a number one priority.
Don’t slack off. Unless you’ve given your two weeks notice, don’t start to wind down just because you plan to leave your current position in the near future. You still have a responsibility to your current company, so don’t neglect your duties.
Check out more ways to conduct a job search while employed on CareerBuilder’s The Work Buzz.
Have you ever job hunted while employed? How did you manage it? Share your stories in a comment below.
