Looking to make a career pivot while still currently employed? Are you afraid of doing the wrong thing during your job hunt for fear of jeopardizing your current job? As someone who helps career changers and who gets hired for executive resume services, I can assure you these concerns are quite common!
Conventional wisdom says the best time to find a job is when you’ve got one but navigating the research and interview process without raising alarms can often require a delicate balancing act.
Below are 6 tips to help you explore new and different opportunities under the radar.
#1 Check Your Company’s Social Media Policies
If your research reveals nothing, then chances are good no one is monitoring you – which makes things much easier. If, however, there are rules on how you can and can’t use social media, then it is best to be compliant and job hunt on your own time AND using your own technology.
#2 Employ LinkedIn Wisely
There are 3 areas on LinkedIn where tweaks can allow you to successfully job hunt while remaining a strong corporate ambassador.
Headline
Strike a win-win balance by customizing your LinkedIn headline to include your current job title while inserting keywords related to the roles you are targeting.
As an example, my client was employed as the President of an IT Startup and wanted to return to his work as a Wall Street dealmaker. His revised headline read,
President @XXX | Revenue Growth. Business Development & Profitability Strategies for Startups, Small Growth Companies, Capital Markets & Institutional Investors
Banner
Stay under the radar by using your current company’s logo as part of your banner. Another alternative? A recognizable shot of your city’s skyline.
Job Titles
Insert keywords to make past job titles more descriptive and to ensure they align more closely with the new job title.
As an example, referring to the Wall Street career changer, we expanded upon his earlier “Managing Director” role so that it read “Managing Director – Equities Sales Head & Investment Banking Liaison.”
Skills & Endorsements
Add skills that relate to the new job you are targeting. Because LinkedIn sorts them on your behalf, these new additions are not likely to raise any red flags.
#3 Adopt a “Little by Little” Strategy on LinkedIn
A great way to avoid drawing unwanted attention is to update your LinkedIn a bit at a time, beginning with the bottom and working your way to the top.
Before you do, though, make sure to change your settings so that “Sharing Profile Edits” is toggled to “Off.” One section every 3-4 days is ideal to avoid drawing attention to the changes.
When it comes to engagement, begin by commenting once every few weeks until you have worked your way up to spending 10 minutes in the am and 10 minutes in the pm 5 days a week. Looking for influencers in the new area you are targeting? Follow and engage on the posts of LinkedIn’s Top Voices to gain some visibility.
Additionally, while it’s recommended you display yourself as “Open to Recruiters” during any job move, turning on the “Open to New Opportunities” green banner is NOT a good idea.
#4 Flex If You Can
If your role doesn’t require you to clock in and out at a certain time, experiment with flexing. Try logging in (or arriving if your role has returned to the office) an hour or two earlier and logging out an hour or two earlier, or conversely logging in an hour later and staying online later. This schedule modification will allow you more time during “office hours” to schedule interviews.
Another option is to try and schedule interviews during a traditional lunch hour.
#5 Avoid Making Excuses
If flexing isn’t possible, try another tactic that avoids your needing to make excuses. Consider asking the recruiter or hiring manager if the interview may be conducted before or after work hours.
While the answer may be no – at the very least you have showed yourself to be a conscientious employee.
#6 Take Personal Business Time
If a before- or after-hours interview gets denied, or a lunchtime interview isn’t possible, opt for taking some paid time off. While too much of this might take a bite out of your future vacation plans, at least no fibbing or excuse-making is required, and it won’t impact your paycheck!
A Juggling Act
Exploring career change while currently employed requires a deliberate and targeted approach to updating and engaging on LinkedIn and a great deal of scheduling creativity.
The above 6 steps offer you options to help you hunt under the radar.
In need of some career advice, executive resume services or a rebranded LinkedIn?
As the founder and chief writer at Virginia Franco Resumes, offering customized executive resume services and LinkedIn profile writing for the 21st-century job seeker, I’d be happy to chat! BOOK NOW for your free resume consult.
VAFrancoResumes@gmail.com | VirginiaFrancoResumes.com | Call/text 704-771-8572