How to Safely Job Seek While Employed

Sometimes the need to look for a new job occurs at the most inopportune time – like when you’re still employed by another company. However, there’s no denying that when it’s time to go, it’s time to go.

However, whether the company you’re working for has notified you of your layoff or you’re simply ready to try something new, it’s important to be careful about how you’re conducting your new job search while still employed.  Here are some ideas to consider …

Never Conduct Your Job Search at Work

The cardinal rule for conducting a job search while still employed is to never conduct any type of search while at work. In the old days of job seeking, it would have been quite bold – and rather obvious – to sit at your desk and circle jobs in the newspaper while you’re supposed to be working. However, now that the Internet is easily accessible at the job and companies typically allow a little web browsing, some employees feel comfortable conducting job searches while at work.

This is not a good idea, however, because companies have ways of tracking the sites you’ve visited and you don’t want them to catch you visiting other company sites during work hours, especially of the company is your employer’s competition. So make sure this is a practice you steer clear of.

Be Careful What You Post Online

Another mistake that some job seekers make when apply for jobs while still employed is posting their job seeking business online. If you have friends who work with you who are also on your Facebook friends list, it’s a good idea to avoid posting status updates that say something like “Hey everyone … looking for work anywhere. Pls help! Need to get away from this horrible job ASAP!” While there’s no guarantee that this message could get back to your higher ups, you might expect that it could.

Also, it’s a good idea to avoid posting your resume on job boards because recruiters from your company could run into it accidentally. Instead, if you find a job you like, it’s better to submit a resume directly via the website or snail mail.

Make Your Current Company Anonymous on Your Resume

Another way to make sure that your employer doesn’t know that you’re looking for a new job is to make the company name is confidential on your resume. You can still list your title and duties, but leave the company name off and list your most current date of employment as present. When you head in for an interview, you can at that point let it be known that you’re still working for another company. The prospective employer can understand that you’re looking to avoid any conflict, especially if your employer is competition.

If you’re not sure of what steps to take during this job seeking process, you could always consult a professional for job seeking tips or to get resume writing help. Just remember that remaining discreet is very important if you want to ensure a drama-free job search while still employed.