The Dos and Don'ts of Job Hunting While You're At Work

One problem with job hunting when you work in an open office is the lack of privacy, which can be reminiscent of a college dorm. Since you can't put up your own partitions, learning how to use stealth moves while job searching can help you. There are ways to practice your stealth without putting on a fake nose and eyeglasses while pretending to be a visitor to the office, and these tips can help you out.

Handling Phone Calls at the Office

Since you can't hold a conversation with a recruiter using only words such as uh-huh or no, talking to a recruiter while at the office is not a good idea. It is a better idea to set your phone on voicemail, and give the recruiter a callback when you are somewhere else, whether it's another part of the building or at a local cafe during lunch hour. The main point is to keep others in your office from knowing you are job searching, or the next person who finds out about it might be your boss.

Using Company Phones or Other Equipment

If you are using a company phone to receive or make phone calls about job listings, you might as well go ahead and put up a banner that says you are job hunting. Other employees might overhear those phone calls and deduce that you are job hunting. In addition, many employers monitor computer use in the event employees are playing on the Internet instead of working, and finding that an employee has been checking the job classifieds could be problematic. Don't use company phones or emails to contact others about job openings. Instead, only use your personal phone number and email to job hunt.

Keeping It Private

While you may have friends among your coworkers, the fastest way for the news to get around that you are job hunting is to share that information in the office. If you feel you have a friend in the office whom you can absolutely trust, you should still think twice before taking that person into your confidence.

Social Media Mistakes

Employers frequently check social media employee accounts, LinkedIn and other sites to see what employees are doing. If you have updated your profile or resume, it might end up reported back to your boss. Turning off features that broadcast updates and making your information private can help. Actively broadcasting that you are job hunting on social media websites is a bad idea and would be better left to private messaging only to individuals you trust.

Advertising on Job Boards

Advertising on job boards lets you job hunt while keeping your personal information private. While this may not be the best way to job hunt, since an employer has to actively search for someone with your qualifications, it is one way to keep the news that you are job hunting from the eyes of your current employer.

Updating Your Resume

If you need to update your resume and don't want to post it to LinkedIn or other sites where this might be discovered, then do it in private on your home computer, of course. Apply directly to job sites or companies and include your new resume from home. The personal approach can take more time for you to find the right job but can receive more attention from employers who are really interested in your talents.

Don't Go to Interviews From the Office

One mistake job hunters make is that they make interview appointments from the office or take personal leave during the day. It can look suspicious when you normally dress in comfortable clothing for the office and one day show up wearing a suit for a lunch with a friend. Change of style in clothing can be a big clue that something is up. In addition, taking time off using the pretext of a doctor's appointment is doing a disservice to your current employee. Schedule interview appointments for weekends or evenings when you are off and it will cause you less stress and help protect the fact that you are job hunting. Job hunting while employed in an open office atmosphere takes finesse and caution so the entire office doesn't find out. TheJobNetwork offers an easier way to job hunt and not miss jobs for which you are qualified. After you fill out your qualifications and job interests, we search around the clock for positions that would interest you and send these job listings as email alerts. If you wish to be more proactive in your search, you can also look for employment yourself on the job site. Sign up with TheJobNetwork to let us do the job hunt for you.