You should avoid leaking your job search plans to your new employer, at least until you plan to leave. Doing this is not easy, but you can manage it if you follow some simple tips.

Online Stealth

Online job search sites have made job searching very easy and highly confidential. You can send hundreds of resumes at the click of a button. But while clicking, be aware; don’t end up sending your resume to your own boss. Poorly managed Internet job searches can have severe repercussions to your current job, so you need to be extra cautious while conducting one.

o Before posting your resume, find out about the Internet job search service that your current company’s human resource department uses – or you may find your resume on your boss’s desk.

o Don’t provide too much information on the net about your current job. If a job site demands more information, then there is a good chance that they may leak this information to other job sites without your permission.

Obscure and Discreet

Your resume can get you busted, so don’t include your business contact number or other business information on your resume. You should always list your home address with your residential number as well as your personal cell number. Create a separate email account for your job search and be cautious while responding to suspicious job requirements.

Never use company property like the office computer or printer to conduct your job search. It may be convenient, but it is risky and dangerous as some companies scrutinize employee computer usage – so use your personal home computer or visit an Internet café.

“Dress to succeed”, but you should always be tactful. Don’t suddenly wear a suit and come to the office – carry a change of clothing in a bag or cover it up with a jacket. Avoid interview calls during office hours. Schedule your interviews before or after hours or take a personal break.

Be Diplomatic

Avoid disclosing your job search details to your co-workers or office friends. Otherwise, you can be sure that your boss will find out from someone. Always inform your family, as they can help you in case of emergency, and can cover up for you. By disclosing the details to your family, you can be sure that they won’t spill the beans to your colleagues.

Try Frankness

Interviewers and recruiters have been in the market for years and they know all about confidential job searches. So try telling them about your confidential job search and they will understand your situation. There is no need to feel guilty or shy on this subject.

If you are still employed, conducting a covert job search is very important. Follow the tips above and you will be able to leave your current job on your own terms.

Author: Tony Jacowski

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It’s very difficult to stay motivated when you’re looking for work, whether you’ve been made redundant or are looking while still employed. These 8 great tips will help you through your job search.

1 Maintain a Routine

It’s very important to maintain a routine while you’re job hunting. For example, in the mornings take the dog for a walk or do a work out and aim to be sitting at your desk at home by 10am scanning recruitment websites.

2 Put on a Happy Face

It’s hard to keep it all in perspective sometimes, but keeping a positive outlook is crucial. The last thing you want is to go into an interview feeling down and irritable.

3 Phone a friend

Speak to a friend on a regular basis, suggests Laura Berman Fortgang, author of Take Yourself to the Top. Tell him or her about your search and what kind of feedback you’ve gotten. Make sure you have a designated time, whether at the end of the day or once a week, to talk with your trusted advisor

4 Keep Notes

Staying organised about where and when you’ve sent your CV will make the follow-up easier. Keep notes of all phone calls and correspondence as well as your research.

5 Set aside time

Be realistic about how much time you need to spend on your job search so you won’t overestimate what you can get done or get discouraged when you never finish your to-do list. Schedule website job searches in your appointment book, says Fortgang. By telling yourself it’s important to spend two hours a night, five days a week, on the search, you’ll feel good about accomplishing that task.

6 Establish objectives

What motivates us is achievement, so keep your goals realistic and stick to them, suggests DeAnne Rosenberg, author of A Manager’s Guide to Hiring the Best Person for Every Job. For example, avoid planning 27 calls in one day – you’ll get depressed if you don’t achieve that goal. Instead, set realistic objectives, make lists and take a red pen and draw a line through every goal you reach during the day.

7 Strengthen your confidence

Don’t put your life on hold during this transition time. If a new suit, an indulgent dessert or a massage keeps you feeling good, don’t deny yourself. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money, says Rosenberg, but do what it takes to feel good about yourself. You’ll walk into interviews that much more confident and at ease.

8 Socialise

Get together with friends once a week or once a month to update each other on your job search and cheer each other on. This doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money. Anyway you should have money in the bank, so you don’t just take the first thing that comes to you. And remember, looking for a job may be a full-time job but remember that no one can job search 24-7.

Contributed by Debbie O’Hallaran
Career Columnist, www.irishjobs.ie

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