Conventional job-hunting wisdom says that it’s much smarter to look for a job when you already have one.
There are several reasons: You’ve got the security of a position, you’ve got the upper hand in negotiating because you’re not desperate, and you don’t have to explain a recent lapse in employment.
But how do you manage to spend enough time at an interview with a potential employer–and at follow-ups if you’re fortunate to be asked back–without causing suspicion about extra-long lunches and personal days taken?
The conundrum remains more pressing these days because the average worker changes jobs between six and eight times during his or her career, says John Challenger, executive vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, outplacement specialists based in Chicago. And bosses have learned that employees are going to and must–in the face of downsizing and acquisitions–stay open to any and all possibilities, he adds. “Almost everybody’s in play these days.”
What makes it even tougher is that often you may need to spend several hours being interviewed. The trend is for companies to conduct brief preliminary phone interviews, then interview face-to-face sometimes for two to three hours, says Randy Severinsen, president of Sevcor International Inc., a recruitment firm in Itasca.
Fortunately, there is a host of strategies you can follow so you don’t raise the suspicions of your boss or office mates. But if they do get wind of your search, it’s best if you have an explanation prepared in advance rather than appear the guilty culprit who fumbles during a surprise query about your hunt. Following is a crash course to pursue a search discreetly:
– Take the offensive and periodically discuss your career objectives with your boss and how you’ll achieve them, which shows your loyalty and dedication, says Wayne Outlaw, a career consultant in Charleston, S.C. “That way, if you’re called by a headhunter or see a job in the paper you want to pursue, but get found out by your current firm, you can always say another firm presented you with a better chance of realizing your goals, which you had, at least, previously described.”
– Don’t discuss the possibility of switching jobs with anyone at your company, even if one or two of your colleagues have become your best buddies and sworn that they’ll never reveal any confidences. You never know where someone’s true loyalties lie and there’s no point in putting them in the difficult position of trying to decide whether to be your confidante or a faithful corporate snitch.
– Try not to take calls on your office phone, particularly if you share a space or sit in an open-office work environment. If you need to make calls, do so from a pay phone. Try to receive calls at home, before or after work.
“If you need to receive calls at your office, answer your own telephone and make sure your voice mail is secure and messages aren’t taken off by anyone else,” says Laura Hagen of the Chicago office of Major, Hagen & Africa, legal recruiters. This also goes for e-mail messages.
– Don’t use your corporate stationery and mail room for personal correspondence. You’re not just cheating the company, but may make your next employer wonder about your ethics. Also, “don’t fax out your resume on the office fax machine or deliver it by firm messenger and with firm labels,” says Hagen.
– Ask to schedule interviews before or after work or during your lunch hour, explaining to your next possible firm that you don’t want to take advantage of your current employer.
Your interviewer probably will appreciate your work ethic. So will your current employer.
Mike Klein, of Airoom Architects and Builders in Lincolnwood, says he’d rather have employees interview on Saturday, Sundays and evenings than during their work time: “I’d like to think my key people aren’t combing the ad pages or looking on the job, but I also know the reality: people look.”
What if a long interview is requested or if the job possibility lies out of town?
“If you schedule too many interviews or absences all at once, that’s when people begin to wonder,” Hagen says.
Perhaps you should take a vacation or personal day.
– Don’t offer names and phone numbers of your current boss and colleagues until you’ve received an offer or preferably until you decide to accept a job.
– On the off-chance that word of your job search leaks out and your boss summons you to a behind-closed-doors session, don’t lie. “Tell him or her that you love the company and love working for him, but you’re aware that the company might be acquired some day or that he may leave so you thought it was wise to keep your options open,” Challenger says.
Adds Severinsen, “Use the time to explain why you were exploring the opportunity. Do so in a non-threatening way. Explain if there’s something lacking in your current job, tell why the other job seems such a great opportunity, or be blunt and explain that the higher salary seemed hard to resist.”
How your superior or the company reacts is, of course, the great unknown. Because of the nation’s, state’s and city’s current low unemployment, you’re probably in a good negotiating position. If you’ve enjoyed a good track record as well, you may be deemed so vital to the company that it will match any offer, either with a promotion or a salary increase.
A company may also counter simply because turnover can cost it a lot more than a periodic increase, says Klein of Airoom: “We’re service oriented and it takes our company time and money to train new staff.”
But if the worst-case scenario occurs and your company decides not to match an offer and doesn’t encourage you to stay, be prepared to take that other job. It may be your current employer’s way of discreetly telling you it’s time to move on.
On the other hand, if you decide to stay, know that you may be viewed forever somewhat warily and as slightly disloyal, no matter what you are told.
Usually, you can play such a hand only once at the same company or firm. Fortunately, you may not need to try that tactic again, experts say.
“Once the notion of leaving gets in your blood and you’re exposed to the idea of new opportunities and greener pastures, you tend to keep listening and looking,” Challenger says.
