Looking for a job? Here’s how to do it while you’re still employed.

Zip It

If you’re looking for a new job, don’t tell anyone at your old job; even those who you believe to be close friends because they may betray you. I was once stabbed in the back by a coworker who I thought was my friend. It’s not a good feeling and they may try and get you fired if they know you’re looking to leave. It’s also a good idea to not use current coworkers as references. Even if you casually ask, a coworker may figure it out, or someone else may overhear, so be quiet about your search. You should also ask your interviewer to stay quiet about your job search. Even if they don’t call your current job for a verification of employment, they may tell people where you’re looking to get hired and they may tell other people who may tell other people where you currently work; especially if it’s in the same industry and it may get back to your boss. The world is very small.


Stay Off Social Media

If you’re looking for a job, make sure your LinkedIn profile complete and up to date, but don’t mention that you’re looking to vacate your position on Facebook, Twitter or any other social media. It makes perfect sense to keep your LinkedIn profile up to date and shouldn’t raise suspicions as long as you don’t specifically say that you're currently looking for work. It’s also a good idea to not publicly post your resume on any job search websites. If your company is looking to hire someone, you don’t really want them to stumble on your perfectly up to date, just posted resume with a short paragraph about you and what you’re looking for.


Keep Things Positive

Even if things at your current job aren’t going well, resist the urge to trash them. The person you’re interviewing with could be your next boss and if you’re speaking ill of your current boss, it doesn’t speak well about your character and could end up hurting your chances of landing a new job. Even if you can’t even stand the sight of your current boss, don’t let the interviewer know. Write a pro and con list and then get rid of the cons and rehearse the pros.


Stay Focused

You may be super focused on finding another position elsewhere, but stay just as focused at your current job, even if you hate everything about it. If you’re called for an interview, don’t do it in the middle of the day. It can derail you because you’re thinking about the next venture. It happened to me when I was trying to get hired here. I did the interview here and then had to go back to work and I was so excited about working here, I was mentally checked out and couldn’t focus for the rest of the day at my current position. See if you can do the interview over dinner after work, but make sure you do it far, far away from where you work so you can lessen the chances of being seen. It’s also a good idea to stay focused on your performance so you don’t get fired before you’re ready to leave.

Also, make sure you’re not looking for work on company time. So many places track Internet and phone usage these days, so look for work on your home computer and make phone calls from your personal device, rather than the one your boss gave you. And remember; if you get busted, just be honest about what you’re doing. It may be awkward, but if you have an honest conversation with your supervisor, things at your current place of employment may change for the better and in your favor.

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