The job search can be daunting, especially if you’re working full-time and trying to balance your current job and your personal life with the added responsibilities of looking for a new one. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged, but there are plenty of manageable steps you can take to make sure your search is productive and successful. Here’s what you need to know about finding a new job while also holding down another full-time gig.
9 Tips to Find a Job While Working Full Time
1. Figure Out What You Want
What has brought you to this point with your current job? Lack of a career path? Horrible boss or company culture? Looking for a bigger pay increase or promotion in your job title? Do you see signs of layoffs with your current employer? Are you lacking job satisfaction? Are you looking for better work-life balance?
Any of these are legitimate reasons to move on. Take the time to think about the attributes of your dream job. What do you want in your new role? Think about the daily job responsibilities, the company culture, the kind of boss and coworkers you want, the industry, and the benefits. Check out this related blog to help you figure out what you want to do.
2. Get Organized
Before diving into your search and sending out mass resume blasts, make sure you have all the resources you need and get yourself organized.
Update and proofread your resume.
Consider creating a new gmail email address dedicated to your job search. If you are an older candidate, your AOL address makes you look old-fashioned. If you are younger, your #1TaylorSwiftFan@gmail.com is fun but it does not give you the most professional image.
Pre-write your cover letters in a template format that makes them easy to customize for each job posting.
Start thinking about how you plan to answer the interview questions “Tell me about yourself.”
Check out this blog post “What to expect from the job search process.” This will be especially helpful if you’ve been in your current job for a long time.
3. Stay Focused at Work
Be fair to your current employer. You still have to give your best effort in your current position. Find a way to compartmentalize your focus. When you are at work, focus on work. You don’t want your productivity to drop and get the negative attention of your boss and wind up on a PIP (performance improvement plan).
4. Clean up Social Media
Check your privacy settings on your social networking sites. Potential employers may search for your accounts, review your posts, and make judgments about you. Think about the image you want to project to your prospective employer. Does that involve alcohol, partying, or exposed body parts?
LinkedIn can be your go-to platform for networking and keeping track of potential job openings. But remember not to let it take over; turn off notifications during times when you should be focusing on other tasks so that social media doesn't become a distraction from your work duties or other aspects of your life outside of it.
Google yourself! Anything come up that you want to hide from hiring managers? Don't forget to do an image search!
5. Turn Off Notifications on LinkedIn
Linkedin has a setting that sends out notifications to your network when you edit your LinkedIn profile. You don’t want to alert anyone at your current company that you are job hunting because LinkedIn sent them a notification.
Click the down arrow below your profile pic in the main tool bar, on the far right.
Go to “Settings & Privacy.”
Choose “Visibility” in the left-column navigation.
Scroll down to “Visibility of your LinkedIn Activity.”
“Share profile edits with your network” toggle this Off.
You may also want to change the setting on “Manage Active Status” to “No one.” This sets who can see that you are currently active while you are using LinkedIn. Even if you are only making updates after hours, you may want to set this to “No one” so your coworkers and boss can’t accidentally see you are active.
6. Maintain Privacy
Use discretion. It may feel uncomfortable hiding the truth about your situation. It’s not deceitful. You simply want a new opportunity, a raise, a promotion, or all of these. This is the way it’s done. Conduct a private job search, get the offer, and then give your notice.
Keep this secret. I would recommend that you don’t discuss your job search with any coworkers, including your boss or your closest work friends.. No one can keep a secret that big. You don’t want to risk having your current boss find out that you are looking for a job. Not only will this be uncomfortable but you don’t want to give your current employer a reason to lay you off.
Make your phone notifications private. You may even change the notification settings on your cell phone. On my iPhone text messages, I have “Show Previews” set to “Never. This will prevent the full text message from appearing and someone accidentally reading a note from a recruiter confirming an interview!
7. Use Your Personal Devices
NEVER use your work computer for your job search. Do not check personal email during your work hours from a work device. Do not look at jobs on LinkedIn from your work computer. Do not edit your resume on your work computer.
Do not use a USB drive to store your resume and cover letter so you can apply to jobs at lunch. Some companies have a very strict cybersecurity policy and do not allow any USB storage devices to ever be connected to a company computer. This could be a fireable offense.
8. Make Time For Your Search
Dedicating blocks of personal time specifically for searching for jobs makes it easier to stay organized and focused. Schedule time after work and/or on the weekends to apply online, do informational interviews or networking events or even attend career fairs.
If you have flexibility with your schedule, block time at lunch for phone interviews or in-person meetings and interviews. Bring a change of clothes so your co-workers don’t suspect you are interviewing based on your upgraded clothing choices! If you share a calendar with your boss or coworkers, use discretion with naming the meeting.If necessary, use a personal day or sick day to schedule interviews; just be sure not to neglect your existing responsibilities in your current role in the process!
9. Have Patience and Keep a Positive Attitude
It may take some time before something comes along that fits perfectly with what you want from a career; have patience and keep a positive attitude as you fill out all the job applications and work through all the job interviews. You can do this!
With enough preparation and persistence though, eventually something good will come along! Good luck!
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