Looking for a new job while currently employed: tiptoeing through the minefield

So you currently have a job but are looking for something a little better. You are getting tired, tense, and maybe just a little stressed. This is a dangerous time, the time when job seekers can go crazy and make key mistakes. So how can you avoid stumbling across those pesky landmines, you know, your current boss, co-workers, and clients, and still carry out an effective job search?

These are some of the risk situations that you will want to analyze on tiptoe so that your job search does not explode in your face:

Land mine n. 1: Wow, I did it again! Done, shoot, THEN write down that email

You’ve done all the right things: designed a cover letter, put together an excellent resume, and found the right contact, Bill Smithers at “The Best Company In The World, Inc.” Now all you have to do is hit Submit. So you do it, hit send. So far so good. OK, next target. Mrs. Jane Topboss from “Dream Company Corporation”. Let’s see … enter email address … find … attach file … and … send. UPS! I think I sent Bill Smithers’s cover letter and resume to Jane Topboss.

Avoid this landmine by taking your time and making sure you have reviewed and attached the correct files to the correct email. One sure way to blow up your job search is to rush in and mistakenly send the right email to the wrong person or the wrong email to the right person. Please do not send ANY job search related emails from your current workplace. Send all that email outside of work. Take the time to make sure the right email gets to the right person, THEN hit the Send button.

Land mine n. # 2: get potential employers to call you at your current workplace

Jennifer Jobseeker had it all figured out. Since you were at work during work hours, it only made sense to include your work number as your contact number for potential employers. “Why burn the minutes on my cell phone and have to keep checking my machine at home,” he thought. Ah, poor innocent Jennifer, totally unaware of the dangerous trap she was about to set off in the new patent leather Woodberry loafers she had just bought as part of her job interview outfit. “After all, I can take all the incoming calls, filter them, and if it’s an interview call, cross that bridge when I get there.” Then something went terribly wrong. Jennifer took a 15 minute break and that’s when Mr. Murphy, the hiring manager, called. A coworker took the call, asked if he could take a message, and was surprised to learn that Jennifer had an interview scheduled for 11:00 am the next day. Guess what the coworker did with this information … you got it: the news spread through the office faster than Simon humiliating someone on American Idol and Jane was completely out of her new loafers (metaphorically) and her job. current (literally.)

Use common sense when giving your contact information to potential employers. Never, never, never, NEVER use your current work phone number as a point of contact. Pass your cell or home phone number on to prospective hires and let them know that if they get your voicemail, you will call them as soon as you can, they will understand. Two other things to keep in mind here: 1) Make sure your voicemail message is professional and not too cheesy, rude, or profane; 2) Never, never, never, NEVER, NEVER call back from your office number; if he does, Jennifer’s fate will suffer.

Land mine n. # 3: Using Your Current Company’s Intranet or Internet Access for Job Search and Interviews

This should be a no-brainer. In most companies, every keystroke you make on your company computer is logged and potentially traceable. Many IT departments now flag certain keywords and phrases and automatically create reports detailing who is doing what with their laptops and desktops. These reports are then sent to management for review. Most likely, you signed a computer use policy when you joined the company. And guess what? In addition to requiring that you cannot play games, view inappropriate sites, or conduct business outside of what your company does, there is likely a clause on the use of company property for private purposes or for profit. And unless you are including your current company in the job search with you, you definitely do not want to violate this clause.

Land mine n. # 4: don’t slack off at your current job

Even if you have STA (short timer attitude), it is a good idea not to let it show. Keep doing the best job you can. Yes, it will be difficult. Yes, it will seem useless; after all, you are looking for a new place to work. And yes, you will need to continue to support what you may think of are mundane tasks and future co-workers and clients. But keep in mind that they are watching you. Both cubicles and hard walls have ears and eyes, and they see and hear everything. If you change your behavior, even slightly, your coworkers and your boss will probably notice. It is important to remember something here. Most bosses don’t become bosses because they are dumb. Most bosses become bosses because they are continually observing the events around them and looking for ways to make things run smoothly. Your boss will know something is up if you are loafing. Whether you like and respect your current boss or not, you are obligated to serve him or her, the company, your co-workers, and your clients while on the payroll. And it is the right thing to do. You will feel better in the long run if you do the right thing.

Commit to continuing to dedicate the time and effort necessary for those who pay you. Remember, you are the job seeker, so it is up to you to figure out how to balance your current work situation with your job search efforts.

Land mine n. # 5: attend a job or career fair that includes a booth for your current company

Let’s face it, you can often find great job opportunities through a job or career fair. These events attract a large and diverse group of employers looking for qualified candidates like you. So, being as ambitious as you are, schedule a vacation day in advance (very fancy) so you can attend the job / career fair guilt-free. You polish your shoes, dust off that business suit, brush your teeth, comb your hair, run through a few interview questions in your mind, print out a dozen resumes, and head to the event. You are prepared, you are confident and you are going to find the next best job! After all, your name isn’t Cory the Career Conqueror for nothing.

Imagine your surprise, accompanied by that “I just got punched in the stomach” feeling, when the first position inside the door is YOUR company position staffed by a couple of well-known co-workers and a person or two. from your Human Resources department. “Why Cory, what are you doing here?” asks the HR administration assistant, as four pairs of eyes pierce you like an evil demon guarding the secret passage in the latest Play Station game.

Career and job fairs are great, just make sure you know which companies will be represented there, and if yours is, you may want to reconsider attending.

Land mine n. # 6: Include your current boss or coworkers as references while running a stealth job search campaign

Consider the following from the script for the movie “Nightmare on Just Lost My Job Street”:

Scene 1: Christina is having a terrible nightmare (dissolves … fades into the dream sequence … the phone rings …)

“Hello Mr. Jones. My name is Megan Hiringpro at XYZ, Inc. Just a quick question if you don’t mind. Do you have a Christina CareerChanger working for you?”

“Why yes, Miss Hiringpro. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, don’t you know? Christina has listed you as one of her references and we’re thinking of bringing her in for an interview, but we’d like to hear from you first.”

Christina wakes up in a cold sweat and realizes that she has fallen asleep at her desk. “Wow, thank God it was just a dream” he thinks with relief. (Vanish …)

Scene 2: As Christina shoves a thin strip of fresh mint into her mouth, her boss, Mr. Jones, stops by her bucket (near Christina as Mr. Jones asks)

“Christina, can I see you in my office for a moment.”

Christina, now realizing that it was not a dream after all, resigns herself to her fate and walks slowly towards Mr. Jones’s office.

“What was I thinking ?!” she silently screams to herself.

The scene ends (and so does Christina’s current job).

This is a tough question. On the one hand, the people you currently work for and who are in the best position to talk about their qualifications. On the other hand, if you’re running a stealth job search campaign, you can’t really make it clear that you’re doing it.

There are only 2 ways to handle this situation and each carries its own degree of risk:

1. Reveal to your current boss that you are looking for other job opportunities

2. Keep your job search a secret and find other references you can use.

As Christina learned, you really can’t have both. It is only a matter of time before your references are contacted. It is important to have your strategy in place and all the bases covered so that you are not caught off guard.

Running a stealth job search campaign carries risk. If it is not possible or appropriate for you to discuss your job search with your current employer, you owe it to yourself to take the time and effort to avoid the landmines that you know exist on the way to your new job.

The best way to avoid landmines is to plan your job search strategically, continually scan the road ahead, and use the patience and perseverance necessary to get safely to your new job.