How to find a job (when you've already got one)

Struggling to juggle your job hunt with your current job? This might help.

Finding a new job can be hard. It’s even harder when you’re already working full time. 

To make your life a little easier, we asked Alastair Pennie, the associate director of recruitment agency Six Degrees Executive, how to find your next job – without losing the one you’ve already got.   

Technology is your friend 

Because looking for a new job is a full-time job in itself and can take time, Alistair says it’s important to be as prepared as possible before you launch into the job search. Technology can help with this. 

“There are certain things, like setting your LinkedIn to ‘open for opportunities’, which will let recruiters know that you’re looking, but not your employer,” Alistair says. 

“You can also set up alerts for jobs that fit your criteria, so that your computer is doing the work for you rather than you sifting through stuff that’s not relevant.” 

Be smart about your interview time 

You’ve just landed an interview for your dream job, but they’ve asked you to meet them in the middle of the day. While your first instinct might be to just call in sick so you can make the interview, Alistair says you probably don’t have to.   

“Most businesses will understand that they have to interview people outside of working hours,” he says. 

“With more flexibility in the workplace these days, it is possible to work out an alternative.”

In short: you don’t get if you don’t ask.    

Map out a career plan 

You might want a change of scene, but aimlessly scrolling through job boards without an idea of where you want to take your career will only slow you down. 

“Having a really solid career plan will make your search a lot quicker because you know what’s right very quickly and what’s wrong very quickly,” Alistair says. 

“You want to do your due diligence and make sure you know what you’re looking for and then you can narrow those criteria.”