Applying for a new job while already employed?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I am one of the lucky people in this economy to have a fulltime job, which I do not take for granted. Even so, for various reasons I’ve decided to start trying to find a new one. I can’t quit before having a new job lined up, so I’m going to have to figure out how to apply for new jobs while still working at the old one.

Anyone have experience with this kind of thing? I do NOT want my current employer to know I’m planning to leave, so I won’t be able to use them as a reference. Are prospective employers understanding about that, or does it look like you’re trying to hide something? And how do I handle it - should I put a big note on my resume asking people not to contact my current employers? How do you interview when you’re already employed? I get a very short lunch break at my current job (if I get one at all - I’m expected to eat at my desk), so it looks like I’m kind of screwed in that regard. Any brilliant ideas?

Some more questions: what’s the best way to present to prospective employers my desire to change careers? Am I a stronger applicant for being currently employed, a weaker one, or neither? Finally, if/when I do find a new job, what’s the best way to quit without alienating my current employers? (Or is that not even an issue?)

FWIW, I’m not about to be fired or anything (on the contrary, my boss really likes me). I probably won’t apply for the same exact kind of work, though I might apply in related fields. Also, I work in a very small, tight-knit office, so my leaving will be more visible (and my attempts to find other jobs correspondingly more difficult to hide) than if I worked in a huge corporation somewhere.

One final question: I’ve been at my current job a little less than a year; by the time I apply for some things and am (with any luck!!) offered a new job, I’ll have been there about a year. Does that seem like a respectable length of time to have been somewhere before moving on, or is there a strong argument to be made that I should stick around a little longer?

Thanks in advance for all advice!!

2

Companies will absolutely understand that you don’t want your current employer to know that you are looking. If you’re filling out any sort of application, I would just add a note that you’d prefer if they not contact your current employer - realistically, they wouldn’t start checking references or previous employers until you’d made it past a first screening anyway.

Interviewing can be tough. You pretty much have to either interview before or after work, which may or may not work out with the hiring company. Otherwise, if you’re ethically OK with it, you can make the whole “doctor’s appt, car needs repair, etc.” excuses for why you’re gone for a few hours.

You are definitely in a stronger position trying to get a new job while you’re currently employed - if nothing else, they know you’re not lying as to why you don’t have a job right now.

Why are you looking at changing jobs? The standard answers are “better opportunities for advancement”, “not being challenged at current job”, “more money” (though you have to be careful with this one). Never, ever say anything like “can’t get along with coworkers/boss”, “company won’t listen to my brilliant ideas”, or anything else that indicates a personality problem. It’s very easy for a prospective employer to decide that YOU may be the source of the problem and dump your application.

People quit jobs all the time. Give 2 weeks notice, leave stuff in reasonable shape for your successor, answer emailed questions for a few weeks after you leave (at your own convenience of course), and you won’t burn any bridges.

The one year thing is a little short. You probably will be asked why you’re looking at leaving so quickly. Have a good answer. It’s not a big deal, but you don’t want to make a habit of changing jobs annually.

3

In the past people who changed jobs a lot were “job hoppers” and that was not viewed as good. From what I can tell now so many people do that it no longer is viewed as bad at many places. Of course there are probably some places that won’t hire anyone with a long list of employers on their resume.

4

When I did this several years ago, I asked them not to contact our current employer until/unless they made an offer and I accepted (I said I didn’t mind if the offer was conditional on whatever the current employer said).

I think I took a vacation day to interview. Is that an option for you? The only problem is if people ask you what you’re going to do on your vacation. I was also visiting a friend in the same area, so that’s what I told people.

As muldoonthief said, lots of people quit jobs; it’s just a fact of life. If you’re happier elsewhere, no one reasonable will blame you for not staying.

5

Unless you are right out of school, most people go from one job to another , that’s the way the world works.

6

It’s easy to thin your resume. If you have 8 jobs and only list 4, who will know? The resume police?

7

You are not supposed to have gaps in your resume. If you leave off jobs then you would need to explain what you were doing during that time frame.

If you list a job from 2000-2003 and one from 2005 to now that is a red flag that needs to be explained. I suppose you could say you worked for yourself during that time which of course would not be true.

8

You can make it clear in your cover letter that you are applying “in confidence” so they know not to contact your employer, and check no on the question in an application. They understand.

Are you allowed to use personal time? How do you request time off for doctor’s appointments or other things that happen during business hours?

You’re slightly stronger for having a job; communicate to a prospective employer what you have learned and how you have succeeded in the current job (in a positive way) and how it has prepared you for new opportunities and a new direction. Don’t talk about what you don’t like about it as being why you want to change. Highlight the things about it that have made you see more clearly the new direction you want to go in.

As far as resigning–your company knows it happens. If you’re young or in an entry-level position, it’s understandable that you would move on. It is tougher in a small office but it will be fine. Again, keep it positive. Write a resignation letter thanking them for all you have learned.

A year is a reasonable amount of time to spend at an entry-level job. Again, stress what you have learned that sent you in a new direction, where you plan to make a commitment as well. Talk about what you see in the new job that you think will challenge you and give you room to grow.

9

muldoonthief and gigi are both spot on - people quit all the time, and your employer should realize that. Don’t burn your bridges and you’ll be fine. Emphasis on don’t burn your bridges - even though this job is only a year on your resume, if you change jobs again in a few years, you’ll need to account for that year on your resume, and having a good reference to go with that year is worth the effort.

As for when you should interview, and how to keep it quiet - as mentioned here, use Personal Time Off (PTO)/vacation days to do so. I sometimes take half days, and my employer is fine with “personal appointments” as the reason for the time off request.

And lastly, for scheduling - per privacy laws (which may vary by state) if you’re not taking sick days, but rather are taking paid/unpaid personal days, your employer usually cannot request the specific reason for the time off. I would request only the minimal amount of time off necessary, but make sure it’s enough time to properly prepare for, and decompress from the interview, if necessary. If you can schedule half days ahead of time, do so - as for explaining why you need it off, if “errand day” or “personal appointment” doesn’t suffice for a reason, your boss is too nosy.

Under no circumstances should you take a sick day to schedule an interview. At a previous job, I saw a coworker leave, only to have both their immediate manager, and the store manager give bad recommendations because they realized the employee had used a lot of sick time, likely to interview for the new position. Sure, a dick move on the managers’ part, but only in response to a dick move on the employee’s part.

And even if you’re using personal time, don’t take a lot of days close together. There was one salesperson at my current employer who had made the mistake of taking several long 4-day weekends in a row (in retrospect, obviously interviewing), and then gave two weeks’ notice, going to a competitor. Her manager was not happy, since sales obviously suffered during that period she was interviewing. So spread out the interviews so that they don’t impact your co-workers or the business’ bottom line.

10

Just say you need to meet someone around lunch. Make sure you take time off the clock.

11

And if you work in a casual office and a suit would tip them off, leave time to go somewhere and change.

12

You can simply start saying at your old job that you’re in need of some extra money and are looking for a part time job on the weekend to earn extra cash.

This will cover your butt in case some employer ignores your wishes and calls anyway, and they have done this to me before.

I’ve even asked my boss to give me a reference, and he did thinking it was simply a part time job.

That’s the easiest way to handle it, especially now when everyone is short on money

13

As a former hiring manager: Yes, many applicants had jobs. We wanted the best we could find, so we would work with them. A new employer will unlikely risk a law suit by contacting your current employer. IMO, you need no note. If your resume reflects your job e.g. it says employed from XXX to present, they will not contact your current employer. It just isn’t done.

When I did it, I would start with a phone interview in the evenings. It was not convenient for me, but we did this to try to find a good candidate. If they won’t do evenings, they will likely do it over the lunch. I believe they will work with you on this. I do have to say that it may be dependent on how easily they can find good candidates in your field. If candidates are plentiful, they may not be as flexible. In the end, for actual on-site interviews you will have to take sick leave or vacation.

I would have to understand your reasons for leaving before trying to present those reasons in a meaningful way.

As far as quitting: Every job that I have left, I have retained a good relationship with the old company (except for one. But in that one, the relationship was *why *I was leaving.) Go to your boss, tell him you are leaving face to face. Also give him a written copy of your resignation. Tell him it is not him (unless it is) and that you appreciate what you have learned and how they have shaped your career. If you are a key man, ask your new boss if you can give a longer notice than 2 weeks. They will often work with you and your old boss will remember this and appreciate it. If you are not too key, just give the customary two weeks.

Good luck.

14

I am interested in this thread because today a friend who works for the same company, but at a different location, forwarded me a link to a job she thinks I might be interested in. It pays about $9000 a year more than I make now. I had to call our HR department surreptitiously to find out if I applied, would my supervisor be automatically notified, and they said no. I know very well that if I didn’t get the job, she would make me pay for it in a thousand small passive-aggressive ways.

So I came home and applied for it, and at the very end of the process, the screen said that if I am being seriously considered, my supervisor will be contacted for a reference. In that case, I’ll just have to suck it up and tell her first – since my friend contacted me, and I didn’t go soliciting for the job, I can truthfully say that I was approached. Her boss asked her to refer qualified candidates, so she sent me the posting.

This is the boss that quizzes me when I come back from doctors’ appointments, tells me I shouldn’t be following the doctors’ advice but hers (from the internet) instead, and follows up by asking me repeatedly if I have taken her advice or if I am still “taking that poison.” I want the fuck out of there.

15

Do you know if this is because you are an internal candidate? It’s odd they wouldn’t give applicants the chance to decline this.

16

A company will be more likely to hire you if you already have a job. That bis just the way it is. If you quit first, they will wonder whats wrong with you that you do not have a job.

17

This job is for internal candidates only. External candidates are not allowed to apply. It is for a new department; I guess they want to make sure you’re with the program.