Job searching while employed?

"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
08/17/2018 at 11:39 • Filed to: None

So I’m ready to jump ship. Everyone in my house agrees that I should jump ship. Basically my current job is putting me in a straight up depression and pulling everyone so thin. Are there any tips for searching for a job and not severing ties with your current one? I don’t want to make waves until I got somewhere to land. I mean, the depression was bad enough that I almost just literally gave away my Corvair, that is running and driving and not leaking too excessively anymore, just because I didn’t want to look at it anymore.

DISCUSSION (33)

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 11:51

Make sure your LinkedIn is up to date. A lot of recruiters rely on Linkedin. And turn off the setting that updates your contacts that you have changed your profile. Sets off the alarms, AND enable that setting that shows recruiters show that you are looking for a job (Only they can see it)

Use a recruiting agency directly if they are proficient locally and in your field. They are free unless you get their special services like resume creation, interview training etc.

WiscoProud > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 11:51

Its easy. You should never quit your job before you have something else lined up. You search when you’re not at work, then call in sick or take PTO when you have interviews.

E90M3 > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 11:53

I did a lot of job searching while I was employed. I would try to be as discrete as possible, potential employers should understand this.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 11:53

i think most employers will respect and work with the situation. Most people they would be interested in hiring probably are in the same position. I’ve talked with a lot of people about hiring and the general feeling is that anyone worth hiring has a job at this point. the people worth hiring who are looking for jobs are doing so because they are unhappy where they are.

TorqueToYield > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 11:53

Don’t tell anybody at your current job about your search, even if you trust them, keep it to yourself. Obviously don’t job search at work unless you just DGAF. You can try and schedule in person interviews after hours but in my experience that never works and I used sick days or the old “hey, I have a Dr appointment, I’ll be gone for a few hours”. Schedule phone interviews for lunch time or slow times.

Don’t quit until you have a signed offer in hand.

Linkedin has been great for me as a place to set up a professional resume online and great for networking and meh for job searching and interviews. I got way more interviews (and my current job) from Indeed.

Good luck. I’ve had to do the job search thing more times than I’d like to think about so if you have any specific questions I’ve probably been there.

Party-vi > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 11:55

I’ve had people that used to work with me reach out and ask me if I would be interested in leaving for greener pastures. See if you can get a hold of any ex-coworkers and ask if they are hiring, or if they know of anyone looking. This should give you some idea of where people with a similar skill set end up after leaving your company. I had another construction company looking to hire me, but they don’t do any federal work (which is what I prefer right now), so I didn’t pursue the opportunity any further.

I’ve also got recruiters like Aerotek reaching out about once a month from my resume on Linkedin. You should start with an update to your resume on Linkedin or Indeed, or sign up if you don’t have an account on either. In my experience networking does help getting your foot in the door.

Also, y ou should decide now if you would be willing to stay for more money or benefits (change in hours, location, vacation, etc.) ; chances are if you announce you’re leaving they may offer more incentive to stay, and that might put you in an awkward position if you’ve already accepted another job.

random001 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
08/17/2018 at 11:56

This is good advise.

random001 > OPPOsaurus WRX
08/17/2018 at 11:58

This very thing made finding a job after being laid off so aggravating. “Hey, you got laid off, you must not be valuable enough to be worth my time.”

So Shiney. So Chrome! So Frunky > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 11:59

I am doing this right now. I also suggest Inde ed.com. I do phone interviews in my car at lunch, take a half day for interviews. This is also why I have gotten in the habit of not telling any manager why I take time off. It may be for a vacation or it may be for an interview but if you never tell them they stop asking and you don’t need to think of an excuse.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Party-vi
08/17/2018 at 12:03

At this point, it’s not about the money. I’m tired of being thrown under the bus and being written up for things out of my control. They basically made me gun-shy to push and expand myself because every time I did it but me in the ass and I feel like almost nobody has my back. I’ve been trying to make the culture a better place for years but “Get it done.” always wins over “Do it right.” They pride themselves on working under fire that they don’t realize they are the ones that are setting themselves on fire most of the time.

I use the analogy that they won't pause to pave a road but happily wash every car that drives down it everyday because of the rutted up dirt road they travel on.

Textured Soy Protein > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 12:04

Putting on my Oppo’s Resident Staffing Professional hat again!

Don’t post your resume on job boards. Just in case. You never know if someone from the HR and/or recruiting dept at your current job might go out and search for people and see that you’re looking.

Search and apply for jobs on your own. The two boards I recommend to everyone are Indeed and Local Job Network. If you’re a tech person, go to Dice as well .

You should apply for at least 5 jobs per week. Don’t put too much thought into what you do or don’t apply for. If a job looks like it might interest you, apply for it. You’re only throwing your name in the hat, you’re not committing to it yet. There’s probably only a 10% chance you get a response to your application anyway.

Once it comes time to talk to a company that’s interested in you, they’ll work with you to schedule phone and/or in-person interviews around your existing work schedule. Try to get phone interviews scheduled for mid-day so you can do it around lunch.

If you need to go to an in-person interview, don’t wear anything different to work that day. Ideally schedule it for first thing in the morning so you can change afterwards and miss as little of your current job that day. If it’s not first thing in the morning, leave a change of interview clothes in your car, go change somewhere else, and then change back into your regular work clothes after. You can skip the changing if the company you’re interviewing with specifically mentions to come as you are, or you already dress nicely anyway, or you’re in some kind of not-office field. But if it’s an office something-or-other and they don’t say anything about dress code, dress to impress.

To get time away from your existing job for the interview, m ake up an excuse like you’re going to the dentist or something.

Once you get an offer that you’re ready to accept, give your current job notice and there you go.

Arrivederci > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
08/17/2018 at 12:07

Damn, I didn’t know LinkedIn had all those features. I might need to get back on there and update some stuff.

Just Jeepin' > TorqueToYield
08/17/2018 at 12:16

Obviously don’t job search at work unless you just DGAF.

At my first IT job, one of my co-workers used her work email address to look for new jobs . (We only noticed because I saw a bounce message on our email server console from “jobs@bigco.com”—the real domain shall be left untarnished.)

She left soon after, voluntarily...sort of . She turned in her notice only after emailing all of her customer contacts to let them know she was leaving, which my bosses understandably thought was a little unprofessional. So she was escorted off the premise s.

promoted by the color red > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 12:16

Shut up - d on’t say anything to anyone at your current job about it.

Network through people outside your immediate area. I got my current job via a friend employed at this company which is miles away from my last job.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 12:21

It is pretty straightforward but can take a while. I send off resumes and cover letters while I’m at home and respond to emails as I can. Sadly a lot of the time it feels like a second job to keep sending out resumes, pretending to be exited about a job listing that more than likely won’t work out, and generally sending a lot of time putting your self out there. Reciters have their place and is how I got my last job , but for the most part they’re terrible and only care about getting your resume in front of employers because that is how they get paid. Most potential employers and recruiters understand the situation. The only tricky thing is taking calls while you’re on the job. I usually step out to take all phone calls, but it depends on your work environment .

That said, if you’re having mental health issues because of your job you might look at temporary employment of some kind. Nothing good, just something you can do to pay the bills while looking for a job you want, if you can swing it . Not the best course of action, but if things get really bad it isn’t the worst thing to keep in your back pocket.

It can take time and, at least for me, the constant rejection (and there is usually a lot) can be really hard to deal with, but eventually you’ll get a new thing and everything will be ok.

Also, when I change jobs I try and document what I didn’t like about the last place, when I first realized I should be looking for a job, and when I should have first started looking for a job. Nothing is forever and you owe these people nothing, so knowing when to start working on jumping ship BEFORE you hate everyone and everything is a good skill.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 12:21

I have the hardest time seeking work when my current employment situation is driving me into deep depression (like my last one was). However, it’s harder to find a job when you don’t have one, so I’d recommend searching while you work there, including doing interviews. I even took time off from former employers so I could travel for in-person interviews.

Just don’t tell them and schedule interviews so they work around your current job.

nermal > Party-vi
08/17/2018 at 12:23

Good advice except for the prospect of staying if you get a competitive counter-offer. You should NEVER accept a counter-offer after you give notice that you have another job lined up. If the company valued you that much in the first place, they would be paying you the higher salary without you threatening to quit.

Definitely use a counter-offer from a current employer to squeeze more cash out of a new one though.

Chuckles > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 12:26

Lots of good advice on here. I went through this 2 years ago. I used Indeed to apply for jobs, and I made myself apply to one a day every day until I found something. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, but you don’t have to do it all at once.

Is there anybody at your current job that you could trust as a reference? Someone who will say good things about you and also not blab to the company that you're trying to leave?

nermal > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 12:27

Schedule phone interviews around lunch hour or breaks, and take the time off for in-person interviews.

Your call on how severely you BS them about what you’re doing on your time off. Just don’t get caught dressed in a suit doing an interview over lunch when you told your boss you were taking the day off to prepare your truck for an upcoming mud bog.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > TorqueToYield
08/17/2018 at 12:27

I’ve also had good luck with Indeed and mixed luck with LinkedIn (but it’s really popular here because Microsoft). Surprisingly, the next best has been the local CL job listings in some cities, as the legit ones are invariably posted by real smaller businesses that are legitimately looking for a new employee, so you’re actually responding to the person that does the hiring...

The worst sites since as long as I’ve been job searching were the ones with big marketing budgets. I think out of many tens of responses to ads on Monster, I may have had a single interview (which I got a job from, but it was because someone that worked as a recruiter at a bigger outsourcing company used their login to do resume searches and contacted me) . No clue what is up with that, but I’d never post a job up there as a result.

The Dummy Gummy > Textured Soy Protein
08/17/2018 at 12:29

Has anyone had Indeed work? Any time I’ve used it, I was left with spam or none callbacks. I find LinkedIn/ head hunter /direct job board of a company to be the best success rate for me.

TorqueToYield > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
08/17/2018 at 12:31

I also really like and have had good luck with directly applying on companies websites.

A lot of large companies post to their internal boards first and sometimes dont ever post to an Indeed or Linkedin.

It’s a bit of a pain in the ass since you need to upload your resume and typically fill out those stupid forms for every company site, but I’ve gotten a number of interviews like that.

Textured Soy Protein > The Dummy Gummy
08/17/2018 at 12:42

Indeed pulls posts in from all sorts of places including a lot of stuff on companies’ job boards.

Indeed email alerts are crap and you should disable them right away.

Jobs posted directly on Indeed have lower employer response rates for two reasons. Indeed makes their applications super easy to do so employers get more applicants, and employers have to go check through all those applications and actually do something with them.

But you’re just as likely to have Indeed kick you over to a job posted somewhere else. Not that those are guaranteed to get a response either of course.

The main thing is to apply for a big giant pile of jobs every week.

Party-vi > nermal
08/17/2018 at 12:45

Agreed

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 12:48

Depends on the industry you’re in but if recruiters are a thing in your field find a few good ones to work with. They can do a lot more legwork and get your resume to the top of piles better than you can emailing individual resumes. Also work your network – especially former coworkers who’ve gone to other places that you may feel comfortable about (just make sure they don’t blab to other current coworkers).

But for any of that best place to start would be to get your resume polished up, LinkedIn profile updated, etc. so you can share that (along with info on particular jobs you’re interested in or types of jobs you might consider) with recruiters and other contacts.

It can take a while to get things rolling but can move quickly once you’ve got a few good leads going. It can be tough to juggle while also having to put effort in to an existing job you hate. But think of it almost as therapy – the shittier your current job is, put more effort in to your search knowing that it will pay off when you find the right fit.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 13:32

I’d ask if you work for the same company I do, but, you haven’t committed suicide yet so it must be slightly better.

Seriously. GTFO. Call interviews sick days, call ‘em personal days, whatever it takes. If you can work from home, do it the days you have phone interviews. No employer is worth your health, and fuck any “employer” that demands it .

Sovande > The Dummy Gummy
08/17/2018 at 13:59

My current job was posted on Indeed. Sent my resume and was contacted less than 12 hours later. And now I have the job of a lifetime, a beautiful wife, a home, ador ing children and a dog.

The Dummy Gummy > Textured Soy Protein
08/17/2018 at 14:01

That’s fair. I guess if you’re in need of a job, more sticks fire is the best route. I just never got the value, as others may have, out of Indeed. It was more trouble than what it was worth, with no reward (in my case).

Sovande > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 14:04

I worked with two recruiters when I was searching and I liked the process. Since they advocate for you I was very specific and very honest about what I was looking for. Both were able to find me interviews with companies that met my demands. The key was being honest with them about what did and did not sound like a good fit. I didn’t end up taking a job through the recruiters because I got a random interview through a posting on Indeed, but were I to do it again I would use recruiters. I was contacted by tons of them through Linkedin which is a great tool when used properly.

The Dummy Gummy > Sovande
08/17/2018 at 14:04

My current job was posted on Indeed. Sent my resume and was contacted less than 12 hours later. And now I have the job of a lifetime, a beautiful wife, a home, adoring children and a dog.

This sounds like an ad or a clear picture of someone who doesn’t know what humility is.

Sovande > The Dummy Gummy
08/17/2018 at 14:09

It was a joke, sport. I am single, live in a small condo , have no significant other, my dog died two years ago and my son lives with his mom. But yeah, I don’t really care too much about humility, so you nailed it there.

Sovande > The Dummy Gummy
08/17/2018 at 14:09

But the Indeed part of the story was actually true. So...

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
08/17/2018 at 16:13

To add to what everyone else is saying and reinforce an important point; don’t put in your notice until you have an official and signed offer letter. Spoken words mean nothing.

I once had a prospective employer (cough cough BMW (many years ago, a couple months before Mercedes )) tell me they were just waiting for the background check to come through but I got the job and could go ahead and put my two weeks in. I didn’t, because no official offer yet, no issues with my background, but a week later I hadn’t heard anything. So I called them up and the foreman said they were going to go another direction. I found out much later they never actually hired anyone at that point and that foreman was a backstabbing two faced prick. So I think it worked out for the best! But had I put my notice in, I would’ve been hurting pretty badly.