It shows that you\u2019re:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ambitious and career-conscious<\/li>\n
- Not willing to settle for second best<\/li>\n
- A motivated self-starter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These are all great traits to look for in the talent that you hire. But just because that\u2019s true, it doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019ll be a simple matter to get hired.\u00a0 There\u2019s a little thing called \u2018the job you\u2019re already working\u2019 that gets in the way.<\/p>\n
How to Look for a Job While Working Full Time<\/h3>\n
Searching for a job while employed is all about time management<\/a><\/strong>. You have to be able to keep on top of work on the one hand and devote as much spare time as possible to your search on the other. That\u2019s a conflict that isn\u2019t always easy to resolve. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve come up with the tips below: to help you find that balance.<\/p>\n
Time Management When Searching for Jobs<\/h4>\n
Time management doesn\u2019t come naturally to everybody. Some people like to micro-manage their day from start to finish. If you\u2019re one of these people, you can probably skip this section and move onto the next. If not, it\u2019s time that you learned how to plan and then use your time.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Identify your goal.<\/li>\n
- Plan out short-term steps that will take you there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Imagine that you work in fast food, but you want to get a nice marketing office job for a living. That\u2019s your big goal, and it\u2019s a good one, too.<\/p>\n
With your big goal firmly in your sights, you can then identify the small steps that will gradually get you there.<\/p>\n
You might want to consider the following plan:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Write a resume (because you never have before!)<\/li>\n
- Get your resume reviewed by a friend or family member, or professionally if you can afford it.<\/li>\n
- Identify the workplaces where you\u2019ll have the best chance of career progression. Or the best wage, most perks, most prestige\u2014whatever\u2019s most important to you.<\/li>\n
- Make a shortlist, and apply for any jobs that you might find that meet your criteria.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"is](\"https:\/\/phlebotomyexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/attending-interviews-while-employed.jpg\")
<\/p>\nYou should also schedule your time as best you can. For the sake of simplicity, let\u2019s pretend that you work 9-5. You can pencil in half an hour in the morning, before work, which is where you scout for jobs. Then you can schedule an hour each day after work where you send your resume\/application to each of the jobs you found.<\/p>\n
If there aren\u2019t many jobs in your field, you might not need to do this every day. It\u2019ll also help to keep track of what you\u2019ve applied for so that you can see the effort you\u2019ve put in\u2014that\u2019s the kind of motivation that can keep you going, even if you don\u2019t see results straight away.<\/p>\n
Search Online Job Boards<\/h4>\n
Our first tip is to make the most of online job boards<\/strong><\/a> if you aren\u2019t already. An impressive 81%<\/a><\/strong> of candidates use job boards these days, and that\u2019s reflected in the number of jobs posted on them: more than anywhere else. If you don\u2019t know, these are mostly like the classified ads in a newspaper, except far better. You have access to thousands of jobs in your area, in hundreds of different industries. Our top tip when it comes to using them, though, is to avoid uploading your resume.<\/p>\n
If you upload your resume on a job board, anyone can find it. That includes your current employer. If they find it, who knows what kind of hot water you might be in. At the very least, your remaining time at work will be a lot more awkward.<\/p>\n
Set Up Email Alerts for Jobs<\/h4>\n
A better idea is to set up email alerts on job boards, to let you know whenever a new job is posted. It\u2019s just like subscribing for any other kind of email newsletter. In other words: very, very easy.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Find where you sign up. All a site typically wants is your email address, and maybe your name too.<\/li>\n
- Tailor the newsletter to your needs. This includes stating how often you want to receive it, what jobs you\u2019re interested in, and where you want to work.<\/li>\n
- Sit back and wait until your next scheduled newsletter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This saves you the time each evening that you would otherwise spend searching.<\/p>\n
Have Three Default Resumes<\/h4>\n
Everyone knows you should tailor your resume in each application you make. But when you\u2019re working full time, that\u2019s not possible. Ideally, you would be able to spend a month pouring sweat over the design and detail of your resume, cover letter, even the envelope you deliver it in. But you can\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Instead, consider having just three default resumes. Let\u2019s say you have a degree in marketing, but your more recent experience has tended towards HR.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s nothing wrong with that\u2014it\u2019s all in how you put it in your resume:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Have one resume that highlights your experience, for any jobs in HR\/similar. Talk at length about what you achieved in your latest role, and how great you are at what you do.<\/li>\n
- Have another resume that focuses on your knowledge of marketing. This is for when you apply to any marketing or sales positions, where it might come in handy. Talk about how you have a passion for marketing, and you\u2019ve always wanted to put your knowledge to good use.<\/li>\n
- Have a third resume for whatever else you\u2019re interested in. Say you want to break into management. Have another resume that focuses on those applications, and why you would be a good fit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Having three resumes gives you some of the benefits of tailoring it for each application, but at a fraction of the cost in time. It\u2019s an excellent tip for whether you\u2019re currently working full time or not. But searching for a job while still employed also has specific pitfalls that you have to learn to avoid.<\/p>\n
How to Job Search Without Your Employer Knowing<\/h2>\n
Chief among these is the fact that, well, it\u2019s not the \u2018done thing.\u2019 It\u2019s viewed as disloyal and dishonest, and it\u2019s one of the chief topics in office gossip. Unfortunately, that doesn\u2019t look like it\u2019s going to change any time soon.<\/p>\n
![\"applying](\"https:\/\/phlebotomyexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/interviewing-while-having-a-job.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIs It Wrong to Search for a Job While Still Employed?<\/h3>\n
So, is it wrong to job search while employed? Back forty or fifty years, you could argue that it was. Employers were happy to offer plenty of benefits to loyal employees: great bonuses, yearly raises, dental plans, and pensions: the works. Today, though, you\u2019ll be lucky to get anything of the sort in an entry-level job.<\/p>\n
Even higher up the chain, the perks aren\u2019t what they used to be. While it would be loyal of you to grit your teeth and get on with it, you can\u2019t ignore better opportunities if you find them. The biggest problem is if anybody finds out. Let\u2019s take a look at how to make sure your employer won\u2019t know you\u2019re searching for work.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t Search at Work<\/h4>\n
In an ideal world, you\u2019d be able to find and apply for any opening either at your desk or lunch. You\u2019d be saving yourself time in the evenings and weekends, after all. But applying for jobs on a work computer, and during work hours, isn\u2019t a wise move.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Anyone could spot you. When they do, that gets the office gossip cogs spinning. Soon, everyone in the office will know\u2014including your boss. So it\u2019s not just about making sure management don\u2019t see. It\u2019s about making sure that nobody. The only effective way is simply not to search while you\u2019re at work.<\/li>\n
- Even if you search when you\u2019re completely out of sight, your search history will still be available to IT<\/a><\/strong>. They might start the gossip going around instead of one of your colleagues. Or, who knows, maybe the boss monitors who is searching for what so that they know you\u2019re hard at work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The only way to effectively make sure that nobody finds out is to do your searching at home.<\/p>\n
Update LinkedIn<\/h4>\n
Next up, you have to avoid updating LinkedIn. Your publicly available profile is a great way to find work, admittedly. But it\u2019s also an easy way to get found out. So, really, this one is up to you: which do you care more about? Making it a little easier to find a job, but bearing the brunt of office politics? Or keeping quiet, and slightly damaging your chances?<\/p>\n
We would advise that it\u2019s better to keep quiet. But it depends on your approach. If you\u2019re actively searching for jobs\u2014so, you\u2019re putting in your resume and online profile that you\u2019re searching for a new job\u2014then this isn\u2019t the best idea. But there\u2019s a compromise that might work for you.<\/p>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/phlebotomyexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/How-to-Job-Hunt-While-Working-Full-Time.jpg\")
<\/p>\n