Whether you’re happy in your current role but want more of a challenge, or you’re desperate to get out of a job you hate, juggling a full time employment with a secret job search can be difficult. You want a new opportunity, but how do you navigate sneaking out of the office for interviews? And how can you search for something new without it taking up all of your free time and sacrificing your work-life balance?
Career expert Rob Phelps at Social Media Jobs explains how to strategically navigate a covert job search, without jeopardising your current role or leading to job hunt burnout.
BE UPFRONT WITH POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS
Explain that you’re looking for a new opportunity while in full time employment, and if the interviewer can keep your application confidential, and if the interview schedule can be flexible. Many companies might be able to accommodate interviews outside of regular business hours, so you can try and avoid having to sneak out of the office.
Negotiating a time that fits around your current job should be a green flag to your interviewer, as it demonstrates that you are committed to your work – but make sure they know your reasons why you’re asking to do it outside of work hours, so they don’t assume you’ll be willing to work all hours of the day if you took the job!
SET JOB HUNT TIME SLOTS
Carve out specific time slots, like an hour each morning or evening, for you to job hunt, update your CV, and apply for roles. Keep clear boundaries between your work, your job search, and your personal life. Setting aside specific time means you can be consistent in your search, without allowing it to take over the entirety of your free time and lead to job search burnout.
BE HONEST…
This may depend on the workplace culture and the relationship you have with your manager, but think about whether you can be honest with them about the fact that you’re looking for something new. Explain that you’re exploring new opportunities for career growth, but reassure them that you’ll keep the same level of dedication to your current responsibilities while you’re searching.
…OR KEEP QUIET
If you can’t be so honest with your current boss, don’t discuss your job hunt with anyone – no matter how close you are with your co-workers – even your work bestie can accidentally let something slip to the wrong person and land you in a difficult position.
KEEP THE WHITE LIES AS HONEST AS POSSIBLE
If you work from home, it can be easier to schedule interviews in lunch breaks – or even a sneaky Zoom interview during working hours – but if you’re in the office, having to go to the “dentist” again, or suddenly taking another day off sick can start to raise suspicions.
Make sure your white lies for being OOO can be work related like scheduling a “client meeting” off site, or that you’re meeting a friend on your lunch break instead of eating in the office like you do usually.
KEEP UP WITH YOUR WORK
Don’t let your job searching and interviews negatively impact your current responsibilities and job performance. Maintaining a strong work ethic avoids burning bridges when you transition to a new opportunity, avoids getting you in trouble if your job hunt takes longer than you hope it will, and can avoid managers becoming suspicious that you’re thinking of leaving!
ONLY USE ANNUAL LEAVE AS A LAST RESORT
While using a day of annual leave to go for an interview is easier than calling in sick and making up a lie, prioritise alternative scheduling options first, like a zoom call out of business hours, or even on a weekend if possible. If your job search doesn’t go the way you want it to, or you change your mind and decide you’d like to stay where you are, spending the rest of the year with no days left to take off can lead to serious exhaustion and burnout.
RECOGNISE THE SIGNS OF BURNOUT
Don’t be a hero! If your job hunt and constant applications and interviewing is starting to wear you down, take a break. Feeling exhausted, irritable, and unable to focus, are sure signs that burnout is near, so take some time to recharge and come back to the search with fresh energy when you’re ready.
