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How to Job Search Discreetly While Still Employed

One small slip is often all it takes for a job search to turn into office gossip -- a few careful habits go a long way toward keeping it quiet.

  1. Never use work email, devices, or messaging

    Send your resume, sign up for job sites, and communicate with recruiters only through your personal email and personal phone -- never your work computer or internal messaging system.

  2. Set your resume to private on job sites

    Use a job platform's visibility restriction feature so that your current employer or specific companies in your industry cannot view your resume.

  3. Schedule interviews using a full vacation day or half-day

    Rather than squeezing an interview into a lunch break or early morning slot that can look suspicious, using a full or half vacation day to clear your schedule tends to look more natural.

  4. Minimize your social media exposure

    An "open to work" indicator or job-search-related posts on professional networking sites can be seen by current coworkers, so adjust your visibility settings or scale back this kind of activity while you search.

  5. Stay quiet with coworkers until everything is finalized

    Avoid telling even close coworkers about your job search until you have accepted an offer and formally given notice -- this is the most reliable way to prevent an early rumor from working against you.

One small mistake can turn into office gossip

A discreet job search comes down to clearly separating your work equipment from your personal devices and building small habits that prevent information from leaking out by accident. This is general practical guidance, and specific privacy and employment norms can vary by workplace and location, so use your judgment about what is appropriate for your situation.

Control how visible your job search is on professional networks

If you only want certain people to know you are looking, adjusting your visibility settings on professional networking platforms so your activity is not broadcast to your full network is worth doing alongside the steps above, since a big profile update can otherwise trigger a notification to current connections.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if a recruiter calls my work phone?

Clearly ask upfront to be contacted only at your personal number, and if a call does come through to your work line, redirect them to your personal contact information again.

Will updating my work history on a professional network tip off my employer?

A large profile update can sometimes trigger a notification to your network, so it is safer to turn on any available setting that stops your activity from being broadcast before making changes.