Finding A New Job While working : watch you step in the Minefield!

First things first if you currently have a job but you are looking for something a little better.

You are getting tired, uptight, and maybe just a little stressed out.

This is a dangerous time - the time when job seekers can turn into wing nuts and make key

mistakes.

What should you do to try and avoid tripping over those simple landmines,?

You know your current boss, workmates, and customers - and still carry out an effective job

search?

Here are some of the risky situations you are going to want to walk around so as to not have your

job search blow up in your face!

First Landmine #1: Oops, I did it again! Ready, fire, THEN aim that email

You've done all the right things: Tailored a cover letter, crafted a killer resume, and found the right

contact, Chris rainbow at "Work for ten minutes and get paid for a year.com."

Now all you have to do is hit Send. So you do, hit send that is. So far so good. OK, next target.

Ms. kim hottie at "I love my job.com." Let's see...type in email address...browse...attach

file...and...send. Oops! I think I sent the Chris rainbow cover letter and resume to kim hottie.

Avoid this landmine by taking the necessary time and making sure you have reviewed and

attached the correct file(s) to the correct email. One sure way to blow up your job search is to get

in a hurry and mistakenly send the right email to the wrong person or the wrong email to the right

person. Do not send ANY job search-related emails from your current place of work. Send all

such email outside of work. Take the necessary time to make sure the right email is going to the

right person, THEN hit the send button.

Landmine #2: Having potential employers call you at your current workplace

Jennifer Jobseeker had it all figured out. Since she was at work during work hours, it only made

sense to list her work number as her contact number for potential employers. "Why burn my cell

minutes and have to keep checking my home machine," she thought. Ah, poor innocent Jennifer,

totally unaware of the dangerous trip wire she was about to trigger with the brand new patent

leather Woodberry loafers she had just purchased as part of her job interviewing outfit. "After all, I

can just grab all incoming calls, screen them and if it's an interview call just cross that bridge when

I come to it." Then something went terribly wrong. Jennifer took a 15 minute break and that's

when Mr. Murphy the hiring manager called. A coworker took the call, asked if he could take a

message, and was surprised to learn that Jennifer had an interview scheduled for 11:00 am the

following day. Take a guess at what the coworker did with this info...you've got it: The news

spread around the office faster than Simon humiliating someone on American Idol and Jane was

knocked completely out of her brand new loafers (metaphorically) and her current job (literally.)

Use common sense when giving out your contact info to potential employers. Never, ever, ever,

ever, EVER use your current work phone number as the point of contact. Pass your cell or home

number along to potential hiring folks and just let them know that if they get your voice mail, you

will call them back as soon as you are able - they will understand. Two other things to keep in

mind here: 1) Make sure your voice mail message is professional and not too cutesy, rude, or

profane; 2) Never, ever, ever, ever, EVER call them back from your office number - if you do you

will suffer Jennifer's fate.

Landmine #3: Using your current company's intranet or internet access for job seeking and

interviewing.

This should be a no-brainer. In most companies, every key stroke you make on your company

computer is recorded and can potentially be tracked. Many IT departments now flag certain key

words and phrases and automatically create reports detailing who is doing what with their laptops

and desktops. These reports are then passed to management for review. Odds are you probably

signed a computer use policy when you joined the company. And guess what? In addition to

mandating that you can't play games, view any inappropriate sites, or conduct business outside of

what your company is doing, there is likely a clause about using company property for private

purposes or gain. And unless you are going to include your current company in the job search

with you, you definitely do not want to violate this clause.

Landmine #4: Don't slack off at your current job

Even though you might have S.T.A (short timer's attitude) it's a good idea to not let it show. Keep

doing the best job you can. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, it will seem pointless; after all you are

searching for a new place to work. And yes, you will need to continue to support what you may

think are mundane tasks and soon-to-be former coworkers and customers. But be aware that you

are being watched. Cubicles and hard walls alike have both ears and eyes and they see and hear

everything. If you change your behavior even slightly, your coworkers and your boss will likely

notice. It's important to remember something here. Most bosses don't get to be bosses because

they are dumb. Most bosses get to be bosses because they are continually observing events

around them and seeking ways to keep things running smoothly. Your boss will know something

is up if you are slacking off. Whether you like and respect your current boss or not, you are

obligated to serve him or her, the company, your coworkers and your customers as long as you

are on the payroll. And it's the right thing to do. You will feel better in the long run if you do the

right thing.

Commit to yourself to keep putting in the necessary time and effort that you are getting paid for.

Remember, you are the one looking for work so it's up to you to figure out how to balance your

current work situation with your job search efforts.

Landmine #5:

Attending a job or career fair that includes a booth for your current company

Let's face it, you can often find excellent job leads through a job or career fair. These events

attract a large and diverse group of employers who are looking for qualified candidates just like

you. So, being the go-getter that you are, you schedule a vacation day in advance (very classy)

so that you can attend the job/career fair guilt free. You polish up your shoes, dust off that

business suit, brush your teeth, comb your hair, go over a few interview questions in your mind,

print up a dozen or so resumes and head to the event. You are prepared, you are confident, and

you are going to find that next best job! After all, you don't call yourself Cory the Career

Conqueror for nothing.

Imagine your surprise, accompanied by that "I've-just-been-punched-in-the-gut" feeling, when the

first booth inside the door is YOUR company's booth staffed by a couple of well known coworkers

and a person or two from your Human Resources department. "Why Cory, what are you doing

here?" the admin assistant from HR asks, as four pairs of eyes bore into to you like some evil

demon guarding the secret passage in the latest Play Station game.

Career and job fairs are great, just make sure to learn what companies are going to be

represented there, and if yours is, you may want to rethink attending.

Landmine #6:

Listing your current boss or coworkers as references while conducting a Stealth job seeking

campaign

Consider the following from the movie script "I've Just Lost My Job.com":

Scene 1: Chris is having a terrible nightmare (dissolve...fade to dream sequence...phone rings...)

"Hi Mrs. hook. My name is kim at XYZ, Inc. Just a quick question if you don't mind. Do you have

a Chris CareerChanger working for you?"

"Why yes I do Ms. jobs pro. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, you don't know? Chris has listed you as one of his references and we are thinking of bringing

him in for an interview but would like to get some feedback from you first."

Chris wakens in a cold sweat and realizes he has dozed off at her desk. "Whew, thank goodness

it was only a dream" he thinks with relief. (Fade out...)

Scene 2: As Chris slips a Cool Mint in her mouth, her boss, Mr. hook, stops by her cube (close up

of Christina as Mr.hook asks)

"Chris, may I see you in my office for a moment."

Chris, now realizing it was not a dream after all, resigns himself to her fate and trudges slowly

towards Mr. hook' office.

"What was I thinking?!" he screams silently to himself.

Scene Ends (and so does Chris current job.)

This is a tough one. On the one hand, the people you are currently working for and with are in the

best position to speak about your qualifications. On the other hand, if you are conducting a stealth

job seeking campaign, you can't really let on that you are doing so.

There are only 2 ways to handle this situation and each carries its own degree of risk:

1.Reveal to your current boss that you are looking for other job opportunities

2.Keep your job seeking under wraps and find other references you can use

As Chris learned, you really can't have it both ways. It is just a matter of time before your

references will be contacted. It is important to have your strategy in place and all the bases

covered so that you are not taken by surprise.

Conducting a stealth job seeking campaign carries risk. If it is not possible or appropriate for you

to discuss your job seeking with your current employer, you owe it to yourself to take the

necessary time and effort to avoid landmines you know exist on the path to your new job.

The best way to avoid landmines is to plan your job search strategically, continually scan the path

ahead, and use as much patience and persistence necessary to arrive safely and intact in your

new job.

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