How to Find a Job - When You Already Have One

How to find a job, without losing your current one.

We've all been there. Slaving away at a job we hate, while trying hard to find something better. Finding a new job when you already have one is tricky. Although it's never a good idea to do your job hunting while you are at work, a surprisingly large number of people have been doing just that.

According to a survey in June, 7 percent of people said that they spend more than 10 hours a week job hunting at work. What's even more surprising is that 16 percent of respondents said that they spend more than 5 hours and a staggering 28 percent spend at least 3 hours. On top of that, almost a quarter of the people have admitted to conducting phone interviews at work.

The large numbers in the survey really surprised me because there is no way that your boss won't find out about your job search. When they do, most of them would be more than happy to help you devote more time to it, without having to worry about doing your actual job.

The question is, does an employer have the right to fire you, just because you are looking for a new job? Technically, your job search shouldn't interfere with your current job. However, if you are using their time to conduct your search, it amounts to theft of company time and resources. When you think about it, they are paying you to do a job, not look for a new one.

If you're looking for a new job, while you have a job, here are 4 things to keep in mind:

Check your social networking - Using social networking to find a job is a great idea, but when you already have one, you have to be careful. If your privacy settings aren't adjusted, your boss can easily see that you are on the job hunt. Also, be careful about accessing your Linkedin profile from your work computer. This could make your employer believe that you are using company time to look for a job.

Don't say you have a doctor's appointment but come in dressed extra nice - Employers see through this faster than you'd think, but it still happens. If you need to leave early to get to an interview, don't wear your interview clothes to work. Either carry them with you or allow yourself time to go home and change first. When your co-workers see you all dressed up, they will know what's going on and will resent having to cover your work while you're out.

Don't let your work suffer - Once you've made the decision to leave your job, it's easy to lose focus and slack off at work. Don't do this. There is no telling how long your job search might take and being fired for not performing your duties will make finding a new job even harder. Until the day you leave, keep working just as hard as you always have. Make sure that no one has a reason to complain about your performance.

Use recruiters carefully - I've heard this story many times. You send your resume to a hiring agency or a recruiter and they send a copy to your employer without realizing it or call them for a reference. If you are trying to keep your search on the down low, be sure to tell everyone involved in your search.



What other things do you think are important? Please share your thoughts in the comments.


By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for Administrativejobsblog and Nexxt. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.