Job hunting while you are employed can be tricky but not impossible. There are pros and cons in looking for a job when you are employed. Here are some tips I provided recently and wanted to share on my blog.

In general, recruiters and hiring managers have preference in seeking employed applicants over those who are unemployed which gives you an immediate advantage. Here are some tips on how to search for a job while you already have a job.

1. Use your internal network. When you are employed, you have access to far more resources than you do when you are unemployed. You interact with people within your company that have first hand experience with your skills and work ethic which can directly lead to a new job. Let people know whether you are interested in finding a job within your company. It may generate a job lead.
2. This is align to the first point but use your external network. Aside from colleagues, leverage the relationship you have with your suppliers, vendors or even customers. You will need to ensure you don’t have a non-compete clause where it can hinder your hiring but most of us don’t.
3. Do not job search using your employers assets. This goes the same for job searching during business hours. Companies may not actively be looking through your browsing data but the ethical nature of using corporate asset including company time to job search is frowned upon. You can use your own smart phone to browse through job listings on an app or website during breaks or meal breaks but don’t use your company’s asset.
4. Planning interviews – Start planning for phone and in person interviews. This may mean saving up for leave or setting yourself up to be able to come in to work later or leave earlier. I do not advocate lying about your leave to go to an interview. In an idea world, we all want to be in an environment where we can be transparent to our managers that they know of the job search and will support short notice leave so you can interview. Not all of us are in such situation.