It’s better to look for your next job while you’re still employed, but you probably don’t want everyone to know you’re doing it. So you might not want to have job wanted ads or even email correspondence gleaming on your 32 inch monitor for everyone to see in your open plan office. In fact, it’s best to use only your own equipment. I imagine it goes without saying that you don’t want to use your work email.

1. No Social Media.

There are some really interesting and effective ways to job hunt using social media, but these aren’t available in stealth mode.

2. Start Dressing Nice Now.

If your usual attire is flip flops and knit hat then all of a sudden you break out the suit, people are going to wonder what’s going on. So start dressing better now.

3. Save Vacation Days.

As you start interviewing your schedule could get disruptive with work. Be prepared to take days off for interviews.

4. Let Your Recruiter Know about Stealth Mode.

Most recruiters already operate with a sensitivity to this sort of thing. If you run into them on the street while with colleagues they’re not going to talk business with you, but let them know the safe channels to reach you as well as the safe times. They’ll wait for you to duck into a meeting room or loading dock for privacy if the need arises.

5. Be Prepared to Be Caught.

Under our capitalist system, you are actually holding up your part of the deal by always ensuring your labor is in the right place. But you probably want to keep the boss off your scent. For lunch interviews you can explain you were catching up with friends. Don’t make it up on the fly though. Have this prepared.

Sometimes it’s fun having a little secret. Sometimes it’s stressful. Oftentimes it’s necessary. If you’re prepared and you take your time you can alleviate a lot of the stress that goes along with a stealth mode job hunt. It’s a much better position to be in and you can make a much better decision this way. So stealth away. Your secret is safe with us.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.