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Job Searching While Employed: How to Utilize Your Network—Discreetly

Looking for a new job is a full-time job itself. You need to check various job websites regularly, tailor your cover letter for each job when submitting your resume, and find time for interviewing.

If you’re currently employed, this all becomes more complicated—especially since you have to keep your job search under wraps. You don’t want your employer to know right off the bat that you’re looking to leave the company. You may end up being let go before you’ve found a new position. In order to preserve your job and your professional reputation, you’ll need to be discreet.

Networking with friends and acquaintances is a popular way to find a new job. But in this social media age, where people broadcast so much of their lives online, you’ll have to be extra-vigilant. Here are 7 tips:

  1. Don’t discuss your job search with colleagues or on social networks that co-workers visit. You never know who might decide to tell your boss.
  2. If you work in a small, tight-knit industry, when you send your resume to a hiring manager, explain that you are sending it confidentially.
  3. Don’t use your company computer to search for jobs and submit your resume. Do it on your own time, on your own computer. And don’t discuss your employment plans with your friends through your work email.
  4. Use your personal contact information, such as cell phone number and private email address, not your work phone line or company email.

Throughout your search:

  1. Remember that your current position should still be your top priority, and your job search should not interfere with your ability to deliver work or meet deadlines.
  2. Schedule interviews for before or after work, or during your lunch hour. If you have to schedule multiple interviews for the same day, or over several days, use personal days or vacation time. Leaving the office at all hours of the day to attend interviews is unprofessional and will raise suspicion.
  3. Keep a clean, ironed interview outfit in your car. With so many workplaces following a casual dress code, you’ll stand out like a sore thumb if you show up in a suit.

If you’re looking for more expert tips on how to find a new job while you’re employed, don’t hesitate to call the IT staffing experts at Synerfac. We can help you conduct a confidential job search with ease.

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