How Do I Keep My Job Search Confidential?

Q. I have some questions about confidentiality in the job search process. How can I make sure that my current employer is not contacted? I really would prefer to have a job secured before I let me current employer know. Also, I have been listing my current position as ‘confidential,’ but I am afraid this may be hurting my chances.

A. I completely understand your concerns about privacy. Many of my clients find themselves in similar situations. While you can absolutely request that a potential employer not contact your current employer during the early stages of the job search process – this is a fairly standard practice – it is unlikely that you would have a firm offer prior to a job verification.

There are other steps you can take to help keep your job search confidential, including making your LinkedIn profile private or not listing your current employer's name on the resume or LinkedIn. However, each of those actions will come with a trade-off. For instance, not listing your current employer on your resume could lead readers to wonder why you can’t be more forthright (and, worse, wonder if you would, in the future, look for another job without telling them).

Ultimately, you will need to weigh the cost / benefit of different approaches and find the mix that is best for you. Discretion in the job search process is very smart, but trying to keep your current employer completely out of the loop could be more damaging than being up-front about your plans.

Searching for a job? Quit doing these 5 things…

Searching for a new job is nobody’s idea of a good time. I am regularly being entrusted with the hopes, fears, and anxieties of job seekers, so I can safely say that it is a universally uncomfortable process for people. However, many of things that make searching for a job painful are completely avoidable.

Here are 5 common “pain points” that you can stop doing, and 5 things you can do to make the process more effective and maybe, even, a little enjoyable.

1. Stop Being Unrealistic – You applied for your dream job as a data scientist for a non-profit that pays people to play with puppies. It’s PERFECT. The only problem is that it’s extremely competitive, it's in a different city, and your experience is in Geology. Start putting the bulk of your energy into positions that align with your qualifications, even if they are aspirational.
2. Stop Being Impatient – You sent your resume to your dream job over a week ago and you are freaking out that you have not heard back. Take a breath. There are many likely reasons why you’ve not been contacted: HR departments are understaffed, corporate bureaucracy is stifling, the job posting hasn’t closed, and – oh yeah – it’s only been a week! Start channeling your energy into healthier pastimes and remember that filling a new position requires the efforts of multiple people and quite a bit of time.
3. Stop Sending Untargeted Documents – You applied for 100 jobs in 4 hours and haven’t heard a thing since. That’s because the “spray and pray” job search method doesn’t work because readers can tell that you just want any job, but they want to hire someone who wants their specific job. Start taking the time to research each position and target your documents toward each specific position and organization.
4. Stop Not Actually Applying – You updated LinkedIn and put your new resume on Indeed and are wondering why you haven’t gotten any offers. Unless you have a set of especially desirable and competitive skills, a passive job search is not going to work. Start sourcing positions and organizations that you are specifically interested in and actively apply.
5. Stop Focusing on the Wrong Things – You crafted a beautiful, high design resume that is truly a work of art. The problem is that you didn’t pay attention to making it readable or bother to include any actual accomplishments. Worse, you are applying for a corporate accounting role, not a graphic design position. Start focusing on building a resume that is exceptionally easy to read, laser focused on achievements and impact, and is aligned with expectations of readers in your field.

Strengths First

This post is part of my new Everyday Fulfillment series. This series focuses on tips for moving closer to – and embracing – fulfillment in all aspects of life. These posts address topics that frequently come up in my seminars and speaking engagements. They are also the topics that clients commonly want to dig into during Coaching sessions. I hope you find them helpful!

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"Because I'm good at it."

"Because it's something I can do."

"Because I just sort of fell into it."

These are things I regularly hear from clients. People oftentimes "like" what they do and are good at it. But, more often than not, they have no real passion for it. The same can actually be said of people's non-work lives. They often feel happy-ish but not completely on track. Likely, that's because they are not playing to their strengths.

Here are a few thoughts that might help you to sort things out and move forward with a strengths-first mindset:

1) Figure out you. Plain and simple. If you don't have a sense of what you are made of, what your strengths are – how you "plug into" this world – you may find temporary gain but you won't find enduring fulfillment. Ask: What do I do that doesn't feel like work at all? When am I happiest? When am I most free?

2) Strip away what doesn't matter and/or add value to your life. Think lean and focused. Ask: What relationships are draining? What old patterns do I need to let go of? How do I waste time in a typical day?

3) Be a change agent. Agility is increasingly important in the modern world. Additionally, a change mindset helps to keep things fresh and forward-moving. Ask: What am I resistant to change in my life? What's something I can do differently this week? When is the last time I was open to hearing a divergent viewpoint?

I Need a Resume That Stands Out

Q: I read your last post and don't understand why a resume that visually catches the reader's attention is a bad idea. Isn't this a sound way to stand out from the pack?

A: As I said in my last post, I understand the allure. There's a lot to like about something that sets your resume apart visually. But, overall, it's simply not a good strategy. Let me add a couple more thoughts to this conversation.

• Highly designed resumes do not play well with automated software, and that's where many resumes start in today's hiring environment.
• For every person in the hiring continuum who appreciates a design-forward resume, there will be nine who don't. Simply put... When it comes down to the presentation of solid, achievement-centric information, designed resumes miss the mark.
• As I've said here on the blog many times, I do think there is room for varying degrees of a designed resume, depending on the specifics of your situation. For example, I've seen design-forward resumes work very effectively as a "leave behind" after an interview. The reason? The organization is already working with your primary resume. This "leave behind" version simply presents your information in a unique way.

Everyday Fulfillment

With this post, I am introducing something new here on the blog: an Everyday Fulfillment series. This series will focus on tips for moving closer to – and embracing – fulfillment in all aspects of life. These posts will address topics that frequently come up in my seminars and speaking engagements. They are also the topics that clients commonly want to dig into during Coaching  sessions. I hope you find it helpful!

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Ready to have more Big Thinking mojo in your life? Here are some tips:

Think critically – Mindless group-think is a powerful force that goads people into simply "going along" with things. Question the norm. Make your own decisions.

Don't look sideways – Glance sideways from time to time because it's important to know the landscape. Otherwise, look forward. Paying too much attention to what others are doing immediately puts you in the space of duplication and envy. Find your own version of success. When you're focused on the best version of you and doing your best work – regardless of what everyone else is doing – you're less likely to waste time on time-sucking "because they are doing it" activities.

Define yourself – Don't be limited by others' need to put you in a box. We're all dynamic, multi-faceted individuals. Create the frame through which others see you (and not the other way around).

Have a vision for your life – Want to know a great way to become success oriented? Have a vision for your life. Of course, that vision will evolve over time but always have one. Not sure what that vision looks like? Time for some heavy lifting. Start by monster-hugging life's greatest (and most rewarding!) challenge: knowing yourself. The more self-empowered you feel, the stronger your resolution in the face of distractions and the powerful pull of mediocrity. Living with vision is also a prime ingredient of making major change.

Be honest – Being honest is not about being tedious or unkind; it's about growth and authenticity. You can't grow if you are not honest with yourself. And you can't build authentic relationships based on half-truths and lies. That may upset some people, but they will get over it. If they don't get over it, whose problem is it, really?

Keep it positive – Negativity can be fun in the moment, but the fun is superficial and fleeting. Negativity breeds myopic vision and shallow thinking. Sometimes a vigorous, critical conversation can seem negative. That's okay. Here, we're focusing on the kind of pointless negativity that can saturate a conversation or, quite often, an entire relationship. Negativity is the sinkhole of life. If something isn't positive or framed in positive action, run away as fast as you can. If someone is a consistent drain on your life, give them the chop.