Searching for a new job while still employed can be a delicate balancing act. You want to maintain your current job’s stability while discreetly seeking new opportunities. Below is a brief guide to help you navigate this process and, hopefully, remain under the radar. However, if you are looking for more control over the confidentiality of your job search, 20/20 Foresight’s Executive Marketing & Job Finding Program might be the perfect solution.
10 Tips to Being a Stealthy Job Seeker
1. Use personal devices and accounts.
Avoid using work equipment for your job search. Conduct all activities on your personal computer, phone, or tablet, and use a personal email account for communications, not your work email. You might consider setting up a new personal email account just for your job search activities.
2. Schedule smartly.
Search for jobs, update your resume, and network during non-work hours. Let all prospective employers know that you are trying to be discreet with your job search and ask if you can interview before or after work or over lunch. If that is not possible, consider taking a personal day.
3. Be cognizant of your attire.
If your interview is after work or during a lunch hour, be careful about what you wear to the office. If you normally wear business casual outfits, dressing more formally may attract unwanted attention and suspicion. Bring a change of clothes with you.
4. Update your LinkedIn Profile…but first turn off notifications.
If it’s been a while since you looked at or used your LinkedIn account, take the time to do so. Update your profile to include any recent accomplishments since your last update and be sure that it is consistent with your resume. Make sure that your photo is current and professional too. But before you begin editing, turn off notifications so that your network can’t see changes you make to your profile.
5. Don’t mention your job search on social media.
Sharing updates about your life, including your job search, on Facebook might seem harmless, but it’s important to be cautious. You never know who is connected to whom through the virtual network and it only takes one person to leak the information and suddenly you have an unnecessary complication with your current employer. The smart move is to avoid mentioning your job search on social media altogether to prevent potential issues. If you must share your job search on social media, make sure to adjust your privacy settings to limit what your current colleagues and others outside your inner circle can see.
6. Don’t share your intentions with co-workers.
You may feel tempted to share your dissatisfaction at work and your search for new opportunities with a close co-worker, but it’s wise to resist this urge. It’s best to use discretion and not disclose your job search to anyone at work. Telling even one co-worker can quickly spread to the entire team.
7. Ask potential employers to be discreet.
Hiring managers and recruiters assume that your current employer does not know you are looking for a new job. So, do not feel uncomfortable asking them to keep your candidacy confidential. Indeed, you should be clear and direct about your need for discretion.
8. Don’t post your resume online.
It may seem like a good idea to take advantage of job boards and to post your resume online, but you could be caught by people working for your current company. It is okay to search for jobs posted on these sites, but do not create a profile where you market yourself.
9. Manage references carefully.
You obviously cannot use your current manager as a reference and you should not ask your co-workers either, since they might give away your search before things are finalized. The best course of action is to use supervisors or co-workers from your most recent previous jobs. And be sure to remind the recruiter/hiring manager that they cannot contact your current employer.
10. Stay focused on your current job performance.
Do not check out from daily responsibilities or conduct yourself with a “could not care less” attitude. This change in behavior will certainly alert others that something is amiss. And even worse, it could risk your current job before you have a new one.
Unfortunately, despite your best efforts to keep your job search discreet, there is always a chance that your current employer might find out. This is especially true for executives, where the job market is tight-knit, and connections are widespread. You might unknowingly interview with someone who plays golf with one of your current colleagues. In many cases, this could have dire consequences for your current job, your compensation, and your reputation in the industry. So, what’s the alternative?
Confidentiality Guaranteed: 20/20 Foresight Executive Marketing & Job Finding
At 20/20 Foresight, we understand the sensitivity and importance surrounding executive career moves. Our Executive Marketing & Job Finding program caters to executives in real estate and financial services, offering comprehensive support from resume creation to offer negotiation. The best part is that 20/20 can execute the program while maintaining a candidate’s confidentiality making it perfect for those who are employed as well as those who are simply more comfortable not disclosing their identity until the final stage of the job search.
Our team strategically markets your confidential and meticulously crafted profile to hundreds of industry decision-makers. You don’t need to do any awkward networking or risk your identity being revealed to the “wrong” person. With 20/20 Foresight, you remain in control of when and to whom your identity is disclosed, ensuring a discreet and efficient job search experience.
Interested in learning more? Contact us at foresight@2020-4.com for a confidential discussion with one of our consultants.