I strongly recommend that – if at all possible (and sometimes it is not possible) - people continue working in their old jobs while looking for their new jobs. If you have the option, you are much more attractive to an employer when you are still employed. Not logical, but very human (here’s why).
Someone in Twitter recently disagreed with my recommendation in that article that people be sure their LinkedIn Profile is complete while they continue working in their current jobs. This person felt that being in LinkedIn signifies that someone is job searching.
Yes, being active in LinkedIn can mean you are job hunting. But, most people in LinkedIn are working on expanding their network, getting in touch with thought leaders, former colleagues, and new potential clients, all to help them with their job performance. (More on how LinkedIn benefits your employer)
So, being in LinkedIn can also mean you are a savvy business person, leveraging current technology to improve your ability to do your existing job better, through better networking, and learning new skills.
NOTE: Some employers do not want their employees using social media, particularly during working hours and/or using the employer’s computers, networks, etc. Check for a “Social Media Use” policy (and also an “Email and Internet Use” policy), to be sure that you are in compliance.
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LinkedIn and Job Hunting
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Unless you are unemployed and in an open job search, don’t make it obvious that you are job hunting!
- Before you expand your LinkedIn Profile and activities, check to see if anyone else working for the same employer also belongs to LinkedIn. If there are more than 100 employees, I bet the answer is yes. Hopefully, your boss also belongs to LinkedIn, and this is usually good. It’s also a sign to watch your behavior very carefully!
- Check out the LinkedIn Profiles of fellow employees (and more senior managers) to see what kinds of contacts they are inviting.
- At the very bottom of most Profiles is the “Contact Settings” area, and “Opportunity Preferences:” offers 2 options to be very careful of – “Career Opportunities” and “Job Inquiries.” I wouldn’t choose those options, even if they were accurate. Definitely waving a red flag in front of your employer.
However, if no one else is in LinkedIn, don’t take that as a sign that you have free rein to do anything you want! Someone from your current employer could join, and expect to ”connect” with you. I’ve even heard of clueless recruiters checking out a potential job candidate by contacting the employer via LinkedIn. So do be active, but also be very careful!
DO’s:
- Do comply with your employer’s Social Media Usage policy (if there is one).
- Do be sure that you have a 100% complete LinkedIn Profile.
- Do participate in LinkedIn regularly (status updates, etc.) so your employer doesn’t see a change in your behavior as a sign you are in job search mode.
DO NOT’s:
- Do NOT give the impression that you are looking for a job.
- Participate in groups related to your employer, industry, and potential clients/customers to raise your employer’s visibility.
- Participate in groups related to your job, profession, or employer, so you stay up to date with the latest trends, new technologies or techniques, new (and old) competitors, movers and shakers, etc.
- Do NOT announce in your “Professional Headline” that you are “seeking a new position as a…”
- Do NOT openly post or participate in the LinkedIn Groups for job hunting (like Job-Hunt’s Job Hunt Help group).
- DO be a “lurker” - read the comments and discussions but don’t post anything openly.
- Do NOT show the Group logo in your own Profile (selected in each Group’s “Settings” in the Group drop-down menu under “More”).
- DO very carefully contact people in the Group privately if you find a kindred soul or someone you can help.
- Do NOT ask your current boss for a LinkedIn recommendation, and be careful of collecting many recommendations from others working for the same employer.
For more on safely conducting a stealth job search, read Liz Ryan’s Stealth Job Search Networking article.
Bottom Line:
LinkedIn is a big help for your career, your employer, and – when you are ready – your job search. Participate regularly, and it will pay off for you.
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About the author…
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg.
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Great advice, I am often explaining to clients how they can be on Linkedin without giving the impression they are looking for a job. The contact settings and groups advice is right on.
I would add that you should join industry-related groups to show your employer how you want to keep current with trends and potentially generate positive awareness for the company.
Actually, you don’t need to add that advice, Don. It’s already there in the list under the first DO NOT bullet. But, good advice is definitely worth repeating! And thank you for the kind words!
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I love this! Fantastic information to share with my resume service clients in the future. I recently added Linkedin Profile Development & Coaching to my resume writing services and I know that some of my clients will need advice on how to conduct a job search without catching the attention of their employers. This and the other job-search-stealth-related (is that a properly formed adjective??) articles are spot on!