I was never actually passionate about leaving my last job when I did, so moving on felt surreal. I applied on a whim based on my curiosity of an alternative life with a new career; would I be happier, wealthier, more influential? When those thoughts became more frequent, I casually began applying elsewhere without really caring if I got a call back or not, so I was caught a bit off guard when it actually happened. I wasn't actually prepared to truly quit (fr fr??!) and I hadn't strategized on how to keep this whole interviewing process low-key while still in my full time job where both it and the job I was interviewing for operated mainly between the 8 to 5 range. When the reality of the situation hit, I had to come up with a game plan.
I scrambled so you don't have to: Tips on applying/interviewing incognito
Update your LinkedIN & Resume before applying - Do not set your LinkedIN to “actively looking” or someone at work may find out
Apply for jobs after work daily and avoid using your work computer (Like I was tempted to...) - Do not use your work email to apply for jobs either
If possible, set your applications to email you first instead of calling you while at work NOTE: Jobs that call and don't send voicemails/emails after an attempt tend to be red flag jobs anyway so don't worry if you miss a call while at work.
When asked to schedule a call, try to schedule it ASAP for your next lunch hour, but since that time is in high demand or blocked out, see if you can take an earlier or later lunch, or if it comes to it, step out and take the call before someone notices (if you know it is low risk) - Prepare to skip lunch and eat at your desk because these calls can sometimes push an hour
If you can't get off early for an in-person interview/call, plan a vacation day/early leave, or even a “sick day/appointment” if that's what it takes COMMENT: Luckily my previous job released an hour early on Fridays in the summer so I didn't use time off for my in-person interview (I only needed one interview) so nothing looked off at work.
Plan strategically and aim to take off on typical days such as Fridays instead of the middle of the week - To avoid any other suspicion, don't clean up your desk early, act extra lazy, tell your “friendly” coworkers/locals your plan (trust nobodyyyyy), update your linkedIN/Social Media job status prematurely, or take an unrealistic vacation
Stay low-key! You don't want to burn bridges, get caught before letting your boss know, or get caught searching only to not get the job because it can get awkward!
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