How to conduct a confidential job search

1- Open to work and other LinkedIn settings 

When you select “open to work” on LinkedIn, select the option to make it “recruiters only” rather than “All LinkedIn members”. This way, your public profile won’t have the #opentowork banner, but anyone using LinkedIn Recruiter will be able to see that you’re open to new opportunities. LinkedIn will automatically hide this tag from anyone using LinkedIn Recruiter who works at the same company that you do. 

If you’re job searching, you might want to beef up your LinkedIn profile (you can follow our checklist blog here or our Linkedin tips for mid-senior job seekers here). You should add a headline, a summary, update your photo, and maybe even edit the descriptions of your current and past jobs in order to make sure your profile tells the same story as your resume. As you make updates to your profile, you might want to turn off notifications for profile updates. Go to LinkedIn settings, and under “visibility”, find “share job changes, education changes, and work anniversaries from profile”. You can turn this feature off if you plan on making a lot of changes to your profile and don't want others to be notified. 

2- Don’t worry about referrals

If you’re worried about a company reaching out to your current employer for a reference check, don’t sweat it. Most companies won’t do that without speaking to you first and letting you know that they’re going to reach out. Of course, there is always a risk that someone runs an unofficial reference check, i.e. someone involved in the hiring process reaches out to a friend at your current company. This is rare, and most companies have established policies about reference checks that would discourage this behavior. 

If a company has asked to conduct a reference check and you don’t want your direct manager to know about it, remember that you can always put down a peer or other colleague as your reference check, it doesn't have to be your boss.

3- Get active on social media & get networking

While you might not want to share publicly that you’re looking for a new job, one thing you can do is make yourself more visible. The more visible you are, the more likely it is people will think of you when an opportunity comes across their path. So get active on LinkedIn. You should create content of your own- write posts and maybe even articles or newsletters. You should also engage with others’ content by liking, commenting, and sharing. LinkedIn growth goes beyond your activity as well- join industry groups, alumni groups, and other places where you can meet new people.

We encourage you to network off of LinkedIn as well. Start attending events, conferences, and simply making an effort to meet more people professionally. This should include previous coworkers and friends- who are often the best sources of job opportunities. You can read our top tips for networking here. Meeting new people will naturally expand your network and increase the number of opportunities that come your way.

4- Tell your friends you’re looking

The best job opportunities are through personal connections. As you make an effort to meet up with previous colleagues and professional acquaintances, mention that you’re looking. You don’t have to make a formal declaration, just let them know that you’re thinking about what comes next. They will think of you the next time they hear about an opportunity. 

5- Don’t worry about anyone finding out

Lastly, don’t worry too much about your current employer finding out about your job search. You’re allowed to look for a job and it might not necessarily be a bad thing if they found out. Especially if you’re feeling overworked or under appreciated in your current role, the thought of losing you might motivate them to make you an offer to stay.

Any questions about a confidential job search we didn't answer? Send us your questions to content@meytier.com and we’ll respond in an upcoming blog!