Job Hunting should be a full time job. The long hours and inadequate fiscal compensation is draining. Doing this while holding down a Monday-Friday 9-5 and keeping your job hunt discreet so that you can comfortably keep your job until you’ve secured your next career move seems nearly impossible.

A confidential job search is quickly becoming a high priority of those currently in the job market, and because of this- they’re not able to network as freely as they probably should. Networking is arguably the most important tool in employment searches.

Fortunately, we’re experts in the confidential job searches. We’ve put together a quick list of our essential tips for finding a job while you’re currently employed.

 

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Work with recruiters

This is a pretty obvious one, coming from us. Recruiters make their livelihood by placing applicants with companies. Full-time direct-hire firms like ours focus time on applying a fine tooth comb to your skillset, career aspirations, and the current market trends to find the best potential matches. Add them on LinkedIn once you’ve adjusted your privacy settings. This way you can pull up the app on your phone and communicate in quick and efficient ways. They can cast a broad net for you without publishing your contact information and your job search aspirations on monster.com for your boss to find.

Prioritize your time off

You can’t take a personal day for every interview, and your current employer may smell something fishy when you have six Doctor’s appointments in one month. If you need to take a personal day (with plenty of notice) for your dream job- go for it. You just have to be cautious and continually weigh the cost/benefits of the steps that you take.

Find flexibility in your schedule

Find times that you can sneak away for a phone or in-person interview. Find a quiet spot far from your workplace for scheduled phone screenings and figure out how to schedule personal interviews over your lunch hour. While you want to focus on your interviews and new potential employers- you also want to make sure that they’re aware that you are doing your part in your current position- a responsible candidate stands out to employers.

Make big impressions

It is likely your hope that you knock every interview out of the park. This is particularly important when you know that you have limited interactions. When you’re on a tight schedule you can’t afford to go back for third and fourth interviews to be evaluated by different members of the team. Do your research ahead of time, prepare examples of your work to demonstrate your ability to fit the needs of their position, and be personable.

Choose References Wisely

It is entirely appropriate to tell a potential employer not to contact your current place of work. If you do choose a reference that is a current coworker, make sure that you can trust them to not only give a good reference but also keep your job search to themselves.