How to Secretly Hunt for a New Job When You've Already Got One

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Sometimes the biggest obstacle in getting the attention of a prospective employer is the itty-bitty, minor technicality that you’ve already got a job. Companies scouting for potential employees might look past those they see as already gainfully employed. Actively promoting yourself to other firms might rub your boss the wrong way.

Letting folks know you’re “available” without alerting your current employers is a fine tightrope to walk, but it can be walked. The secret is seduction, or at least that’s what Jenny Foss of The Muse suggests in an article recently republished on the Time website:

“Just as you might use subtle, yet intentional, methods to entice a romantic suitor, you can use the professional version of these same techniques to woo recruiters or other corporate decision makers—without your boss figuring out what you’re up to.”

Foss’ suggestions include: subtle hints, such as including your e-mail address in your LinkedIn bio alongside an invitation for others to reach out; active networking, which includes building a rapport and showing interest in influencers’ jobs; convenient appearances, which Foss equates to walking by a high school crush’s locker just when he/she happens to be there; and finally, withholding enticing information, because no one likes dating someone who spills their guts the first time out.

It almost sounds like you’re having an affair with a prospective employer, which is a sort of cynical way of looking at things. Fortunately, a spouse-like commitment to your employer isn’t expected (nor recommended) in modern career culture. If a better opportunity is out there, reach for it.

Go ahead and read Foss’ article (linked below) and tell us what you think.