Finding a New Job (When You've Already Got One)

Once upon a time, it was the norm to land a job and stay in it for the next decade or so - as long as you had a recruiter to fall back on if all went pear shaped, you were good. Today, however, it has become more common to stay in a job for a shorter period and try to work in different sectors until you’ve found one that's right for you.

This now means that job hunting whilst working has become very common. But, the question is, how do you get away with job hunting and not damage your relationship with your current boss or co-workers?

It’s simple

Don’t discuss your job search with anyone, don’t tell your co-workers or use your work email address or phone number to carry out your job hunt. Only return calls or messages during your lunch or, if you can, any time out of work hours.

You should also inform the recruiter that you would like to keep your search confidential - or you could even place a brief sentence on your cover letter to inform potential employers you’re conducting a confidential job search.

Getting time off for interviews

In the early stages of the recruitment process, it is important that you inform your recruiter that you work full time - the same rule applies with the hiring manager of the company you’re applying to so they can try to schedule interviews conveniently. Remember this is not always that easy and you may need to negotiate meeting times or meet employers halfway.

The best recruiters will understand that you can’t just drop all your commitments and will find a way to work around it.

You can find some more information about getting Time off for Interview on our blog.

What if your boss finds out?

If your boss finds out you’re job hunting there is no need to panic, after all what have you actually done wrong other than keeping your options open? A strong manager may already be aware that you are ready for a move up in your career and may appreciate a chance to talk to you openly about your career aspirations.

If your boss is to ask you directly if you are job hunting, don’t lie, just tell them you’re keeping your options open and want to see what’s out there.

When’s the perfect time to leave?

You may want to leave your current position for several reasons, ideally it would be to go onto bigger and better things, you’ve gained as much as you can from your current position and want to advance in your career.

Even if this isn’t the case, we would suggest that you stay with your current role for as long as possible (definitely for those who have a string of short term jobs) as it will reflect better on you to potential employers.

Networking

When job hunting whilst working, it is still important to network. However, you do not want loads of people finding out you’re on the hunt. We would, therefore, suggest that you network on a one-to-one basis with people you already know and push them to introduce you to their colleagues or friends who can help advance your career.

Obviously you aren’t going to network during working hours, so make sure you arrange your networking during your lunch break, evenings or weekends.

Don’t panic

With this in mind, it is important that you stay cool, calm and collected when searching for a new job whilst working. Yes, there is a chance that things might not develop as you intended, but there are many ways to avoid it.

Do your research and think of ways to avoid causing offence with your current employer, apply for that new job and move onto bigger and better things the right way - without burning any bridges in the process.

Wright Solutions offer executive recruitment services and have a team of expert executive recruiters that specialise in placing candidates for executive roles within Human Resources (HR) and Learning and Development. For more information or to discuss our services please feel free to get in touch either by telephone on 0121 222 5599 or by email to info@wrightsolutionsltd.com. Don’t forget you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn or sign up to our newsletter for regular updates.