Starting Out
Undercover Job Hunting
Ready to move on? Follow these 12 dos and don'ts for job searching discreetly when you're employed.
By Erin Burt, Contributing Editor, Kiplinger.com
January 24, 2008
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Hello reader. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find a better paying, more satisfying job, attend interviews and secure references -- all without tipping off your current boss. This message will self destruct.
*Cue music*
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Coordinating a job hunt while you're employed may seem like an impossible mission. But your covert op can pay off big, whether you're a young adult moving on from your first real job or a seasoned professional looking for a change of pace. These 12 dos and don'ts will help you pull off a successful search ethically and discreetly:
1. DO tell your boss if you're interested in advancing. If you prefer to stay with the company but are ready for a promotion or a change, be clear with your boss about your intentions.
A good time to do this is after a stellar performance review or after doing a great job on a project. Say, "I'm excited about working here, and I've been willing to pay my dues. But there's so much more I can contribute. Is there a time we can sit down and have a chat about how I could take on more responsibility and discuss my future with the company?"
2. DON'T tell your boss you're looking elsewhere. If you're ready to move on, it's generally best not to tell anyone at work that you're sniffing around before you have a new job lined up -- you might find yourself prematurely unemployed.
The company knows it has to replace you, and it could find your replacement before you're ready to go. Or your boss may see you as disloyal and make your life difficult until you leave. The average job hunt takes four months, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, so take care not to jump the gun.
3. DON'T job hunt at the office. Polishing your résumé or browsing classifieds on the company's time and computer is flat out unethical. Your current employer might catch you. Plus your misuse of company time might turn off a prospective employer if he or she notices, for example, that your résumé was e-mailed during business hours.
You can do a lot of your hunting at night and on weekends. Touch up your résumé, send e-mails and call employers to leave a voicemail. You also can use your time at home to research different companies and opportunities.
4. DO use an appropriate e-mail address. That means you shouldn't use your work e-mail address, or a goofy-sounding personal e-mail account. Set up a more professional free account using your name or initials. Employers won't take you seriously if you have "pookiewookie@email.com" emblazoned on your résumé.
5. DO hand out your cell phone number. You don't want prospective employers calling you at work. Instead, give them your cell phone number and check your voicemail during breaks.
Again, make sure your greeting has a professional tone. Don't use the generic message that comes preprogrammed on your voicemail. You don't want employers hanging up wondering if they called the right number. Clearly state your name, and politely ask callers to leave a message.
6. DON'T post your résumé online for all to see. Your current employer may find it. Then you'll have some explaining to do. Besides, the best way to job hunt is through networking and industry-specific channels, not by blanketing the Web with your life story. Get more tips on how to find a job.
7. DO time your interviews well. You can slip away for a job interview during your lunch hour or early in the morning before work, as long as you're confident you'll make it back to work in time. You may need to take your lunch break earlier or later in the day to accommodate the interviewer's schedule.
It's okay to take a personal day or use vacation time to attend interviews. Use the time well by packing as many interviews into a day as possible. But you should never call in sick -- it's dishonest.
8. DON'T badmouth your current employer. Job hunting can be a lot like dating: Complaining about your ex is a big turn-off. When interviewers ask you why you want to leave your current job, give a diplomatic answer.
Instead of "I hate my boss. She won't give me more money, and I work with a bunch of morons," make it: "I don't feel like I am able to show my full potential in my current position " or "I'm ready to take my career to the next level, and there isn't a suitable opportunity to advance where I am right now."
9. DO mind your attire. If you're heading to an interview directly from the office, take stock of what you're wearing. If you normally dress in business clothes at work, your wardrobe shouldn't be a problem. But if your office is more casual, you're going to tip a few people off if you show up one day in a suit and tie.
Instead, keep your suit in the car and change clothes at a gas station, or swing by home for a costume change. It's a little Clark Kent-ish, but even if you normally wear jeans to work, you shouldn't wear them to an interview.
10. DO handle references with care. References can be tricky, especially if you're leaving your first job out of college because you don't have any former employers to draw upon. It's common practice to request that prospective employers not call your current boss until they make you an offer.
You might offer copies of your past performance reviews. If you have a mentor you trust who knows you are shopping around, consider enlisting him or her as a discreet reference. Or perhaps a co-worker or superior you worked closely with in the past who has since moved on to another company, or another business associate outside the office.
11. DO give plenty of notice before you quit. Two-weeks is the standard, but some industries may require more or less time. Make your announcement in writing. Offering to help find or train a replacement is a nice gesture, but you are under no obligation to stay longer. Your new employer will be expecting you to start on schedule.
12. DO keep in touch. Before you go, make sure you give your contact information to your colleagues and gather theirs. And once you're gone, stay in touch and keep everyone up to date of your continued successes. This will help you maintain a network of career contacts that could come in handy for future job searches.
Reader Comments (11)
Posted by: Norm Talbot at 01/24/2008 11:20:06 AM
I might add that contacting a recruiter(headhunter) who specializes in your specific field can be very beneficial. They should be credible with a track record. Upon contacting them, you should also be specific in that your search is 'confidential' and that you do not want your resume sent without your expressed permission. Most reputable recruiters will honor that request, and many prefer to work that way anyway. Let them know that you are available to consider an opportunity should one come up that matches your skill set and that you would appreciate being considered. Do not expect a recruiter to find you a job. Recruiters find people for companies and not companies for people. The company pays the bill...Good companies are always on the lookout for outstanding talent! Headhunters can sometimes open up the door of opportunity that otherwise might not be so apparent.
Posted by: JACK at 01/24/2008 11:52:48 AM
"And once you're gone, stay in touch and keep everyone up to date of your continued successes. " YEAH JUST WHAT YOUR FORMER CO-WORKERS AND BOSS WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT - HOW GOOD YOUR DOING BY LEAVING -- I WOULD MAKE THIS A DONT
Posted by: Artemis at 01/24/2008 01:12:06 PM
It's becoming more common, at least in the computer industry to not give notice. Why? As often as not it earns you two weeks without a job, as your current employers puts you on the street on the spot. While most of us can take a two week hit, some can't...in twelve years and three job changes, short notice has never been a problem. Also, increasingly companies expect lower level positions to be able to start immediately....
Posted by: Sebille at 01/25/2008 11:54:39 AM
Using a lunch hour for interviews may have worked years ago, but interviews now typically last all day. Even as an admin, I spent five hours interviewing with a large team for my current position.
Posted by: Mark at 01/27/2008 02:09:18 PM
I think it is a good idea to stay in touch. I did that and now my former company is bidding on a project for my new employer and I happen to be the liaison. If I had not kept a good relationship with my old employer, working with them in this new capacity where I call the shots would have difficult.
Posted by: Xidrag at 02/21/2008 03:43:42 PM
You've got to love how giving a 2-week notice is expected when leaving a job, but when they lay you off they give you a "sorry, but you need to pack your stuff up" on your last day. Zero warning. :(
Posted by: Brandon at 05/05/2008 06:06:52 PM
Here's my problem. I have a great work history, and my resume shows growth through several promotions. I am almost done with college and have started to look for a job in the marketing field, my major. While I have great references, they are all at my current company. My company also has a policy about redirecting reference requests to human resources. So it is difficult for me to even apply for jobs. I can't just drop a bomb on some of my managers at my current company.
Posted by: Sliipslop at 06/29/2008 05:49:41 PM
It's hard to deal with the clothing problem when you don't drive to work! I take public transportation. My office is super casual and I wear jeans 98% of the time, but when I go on an interview, I can't. Any thoughts on what to do? I can't carry a bag of clothes with me to the interview.
Posted by: Di at 09/29/2008 01:13:45 PM
Sliipslop, If you know you want to job search, consider, not wearing jeans. Start dressing a little less casual over time (for a couple of weeks) and say that you are trying a new look. When you have a job interview then know one will take notice of the outfit changes.
Posted by: Tara Gowland at 01/04/2009 05:51:49 AM
Sliipslop - My suggestion is to bring your change of clothes with you to work (pack them the best you can to avoid wrinkling), and when you get close to your interview location, find a coffee shop and change there - you can always bring a gym bag to work and no one would think twice. One other thing to consider is to bring a portable steamer with you - there are a few tiny ones on the market - and you can plug them into the bathroom outlet! Good luck! Tara Gowland Seattle Jobs Examiner
Posted by: LCB at 01/29/2009 01:05:48 PM
Dressing up. Sometimes it just takes a little bit; wearing slacks or 'kahkis' instead of jeans, and then changing to a nice shirt (if necessary, a tie). OTOH, it depends on your profession - in mine (s/w engineering) you don't want to wear a suit to an interview as 99% of tech companies are very casual (jeans, t-shirts). I wore a suit once and they actually made a comment that I was very over-dressed (I got the job anyway). So it just depends on the job and the employer. So one step up from what you would expect to be wearing there day to day is about right. BTW, not too recently I turned down an interview with an employer because they required everybody to wear a suit every day, or at least slacks and a tie. Not for me (and yes, I can afford to turn down such jobs).