Getting a Job When You Already Have One
A new study has proven true the oft-repeated saying that it's easier to land a job when you already have one. The Active Job Seeker Dilemma Study -- a national survey of more than 4,000 job seekers and 129 human resources professionals conducted by the research firm Future Workplace in partnership with Beyond.com -- found that those with jobs have a better chance of being hired than unemployed job seekers.
What's more, 80 percent of the HR professionals surveyed shared their belief that "passive job seekers" -- defined as those currently employed yet open to considering other job opportunities -- become more effective employees than "active job seekers" who are searching for work while unemployed.
[See: Tips for Surviving a Career Transition.]
"I always urge professionals to become passive job seekers so they can gain leverage and power over their career prospects," says Dan Schawbel, partner and research director at Future Workplace.
Yet while employed job seekers have an advantage over unemployed ones, they may also face unique challenges in relation to job hunting. It can be tough to find time to conduct a job search when you work full time, more difficult to schedule interviews when you need to be at your desk and harder to list references from your current company without giving away that you're looking to leave.
If you're an employee who's looking for work, here are some thoughts on how to get around these and other challenges of the job search.
Make the time. If you're motivated to explore new opportunities, then it's important to make sacrifices and carve out time even if you have a busy work-life schedule already. Think about activities outside of work where you can cut back in the short term in order to siphon some extra hours toward your search. You may need to do less socializing or spend less time at the gym temporarily to prioritize finding your next job. "If you want the job bad enough, you will take a sick day or drive to the company after work, in order to make the interview," says Schawbel. "When I was transitioning from my full-time job to my own business, I sacrificed nights and weekends in order to make it happen."
[See: 10 Ways You're Inadvertently Broadcasting Your Job Search.]
Use your own resources. While you may feel crunched for time to job search, ethically it's important to conduct activities related to seeking new employment on your own time, using your own resources. If you need to connect with potential employers or recruiters during the workday, schedule such calls or meetings during your lunch hour. Use your own electronic devices to conduct your search -- in addition to your smartphone, you might consider bringing a personal laptop to work on during your lunch break. If you need more hours for certain search-related activities, use a vacation day to give yourself a longer block of time.
Be discreet. Even if you trust your colleagues or have a close working relationship with your boss, it's best to keep your plans to yourself about your interest in exploring other options. Telling even one co-worker or friend in the office about your intentions could lead to a grapevine effect where the news finds its way back to your supervisor. If you or someone else informs your boss, you might be seen as an employee with a short-term mentality, which could hurt your chances for advancement or limit internal opportunities while you're still with your company.
[See: 10 Reasons to Quit Your Job Already.]
Ask for what you want. Some recruiters, employment firms or hiring managers will request contact information for your current supervisor, or will want references from your current company, in order to consider you for a new position. While it's fair for job decision-makers to request this information so that they have up-to-date references, you can ask that they wait to contact anyone at your current company until later in the process -- for example, if they plan to make you a job offer for a position that you have expressed definite interest in taking. You can also request that the recruiter or hiring manager notify you prior to making any contact with your current place of employment.
If a company is looking to poach you from your current position, then they will likely try to make it as easy as possible for you to interview because they have an incentive to do so, according to Schawbel. With that in mind, use the proven advantages of employment to help you score the next big thing in your career.
