Job-searching during employment calls for caution

The question you should ask is this: Am I committed to finding another job, or is it easier to just stay in this position and whine?

Often there is a catalyst that puts you into the market: You find out others are receiving bonuses, and you’re not. You have “had it” with a particularly mean boss. Your work is not acknowledged. Your pay is lower than average for what you do.

Once you have decided that the time is now, consider these six tips:

1. Give everything you can to your current job. You might think, “What? I’m leaving this job. I don’t owe them anything because of the rotten way that they have treated me.”

Here’s the deal: You don’t have a choice. Your current employer is paying you. Whether they treat you badly or not, you have a moral obligation to give back value for what you are being paid. You may need this employer as a reference in the future. You don’t want to lose your job, and let’s face it; it might take a while to find a better job. Most of all, I appeal to your pride. Don’t you want your last actions at a company to be your best? Personally, I’d rather have them miss my work than turn over a mess to my successor.

2. Don’t blend your job and your search. Be careful! One of the easiest ways to get fired is to get caught using company time and equipment for a job search. So, don’t use the copier, your company computer and e-mail or the company phone. Use your personal cell phone or home phone for potential employer calls. You can always call back from your car during a break or at lunch. Most employers understand about scheduling interviews before or after work or during lunch. Be careful about what you wear on those days. Don’t let your black suit in a business casual environment give you away.

3. Make use of available resources. The Internet, Missouri Career Center and a multitude of books on job searches will help you. If you are on a search, you should read everything you can on the topic. Many people write their résumés the same way they always have. Others try to “wing it” on job interviews. Still others depend on only one way of searching – the newspaper. Preparation is key.

The Wall Street Journal Interactive has a great free Web site, www.career

journal.com, with articles on almost every job search topic available. The Missouri Career Center offers one-on-one counseling, training, computer resources and more.

4. North and south, keep shut the mouth. This World War II anti-spy warning fits in the job search world. Do NOT tell anyone in your present workplace that you are looking for a job. Even if someone means well, they can accidentally slip.

5. Do something every single day toward your search.

Before you even start a search, invest in a spiral notebook (which you will keep at home). This is your “patience diary.” The worst part of a career change is that it takes so long and that there may be periods of time where you feel that you are getting nowhere.

This simple concept is one that I have seen work well even with the longest job searches. Don’t forget, the more you make, the longer it will take to find a new job.

The diary entries might look something like this:

Sept. 1 – Read article on job search on www.careerjournal.com.

Sept. 2 – Sent in my résumé for jobs with ABC Corp.; XYZ Co.; and Malik and Associates.

Sept. 3 – Went through sbj.net, www.monster.com and www.careerbuilder.com. Applied for six jobs.

Sept. 4 – Attended industry meeting and met executive recruiter. E-mailed her my résumé.

Sept. 5 – Rewrote résumé based upon article in the paper.

Between 1990 and 1993, I trained and counseled more than 3,000 laid-off workers. Over and over, I saw this technique work. Doing one concrete thing a day will get you out sooner!

6. Keep a positive attitude. If you hate your job and feel imprisoned by it, it is extremely hard to feel upbeat. Then, there are the negative naysayers. These people say things like:

“You’re walking away from great benefits!” (How do they know? Maybe the benefits will be better.)

“Are you sure this is a good time to look for a job?” (If not now, when do they suggest?)

“Are you sure it will be easy to find a job at your age?” (It is not easy to find a job at any age.)

“You’re not that far from retirement.” (Fifteen years feels like a long time, doesn’t it?)

The negative naysayers want you to keep the status quo, so that they will be comfortable in their humdrum existence.

If you want to find another job, you can do it. Here’s the secret: Tell no one and start today.

Good luck!

Sinara Stull O’Donnell is a professional speaker and writer through Springfield-based SinaraSpeaks. She is the author of “Be The Star Of Your Life: Are You Ready For Your Close-Up?” She can be reached at sinaraspeaks@earthlink.com.