Searching for a job while employed full-time can be tricky. You have to walk a thin line between furthering your career while remaining respectful to your current employer. In order to land your dream job without burning bridges, you must conduct your job search ethically, but without being detected.

The First Rule of Job Hunt is Don’t Talk about Job Hunt

If you don’t want your boss to discover your job search, don’t talk about it with anyone at work. Or at the local diner. Or anywhere but the confines of your own home. If you talk about your search, your secret is sure to get out.

Never Do Job Search Tasks on Company Time

Though it may be tempting, you should never, ever hop on a job bard at work, and you should certainly never send out search-related emails from your company email address.  Nothing you do on the company internet is private, and your odds of being caught are quite high.

Schedule Interviews During Off Hours

It is perfectly acceptable to ask potential employers to schedule interviews after normal business hours. They will appreciate the respect you are showing your current employer by not taking time off the clock to conduct your job search. If the potential employer can’t accommodate a late afternoon or early morning interview, suggest your lunch hour.

Be Honest with Potential Employers

The people who interview you will ask if your current employer is aware of your job search. Honesty is the best policy. Explain you’re keeping the search confidential and ask that they contact previous employers for a reference. Honesty should not rule you out as a potential candidate. Lying, however, will. If a potential employer calls your current boss for a reference check, you’ll be in a very sticky situation all around.

Partner with a Recruiter

A recruiter can do much of the legwork for you during your job search. They locate open positions, schedule interviews, and do some advance work with the hiring manager. This allows you to remain focused on your current job. You won’t be tempted to check job boards or make phone calls on company time. They also have the inside track on positions that align with your skills and goals, so you don’t waste time on interviews for jobs that aren’t a right fit.

Conducting a job search while employed full time can be a bit of a juggling act. But it keeps you in a position where you won’t be tempted to take the first offer that comes along just to keep the bills paid.  As long as you conduct your search quietly and with the help of a professional recruiter, you can conduct your search without tipping off your current boss.

The Prevalent Group is a nationally recognized management and executive placement and recruitment company. We place execs in sales, marketing, engineering, technology and more. If you are looking for new opportunities in these fields, contact us today.