Working Notice While Job Hunting
Most people look for work while employed, which is both sensible and requires some care about how it is done.
Practical discretion
Use personal email and a personal phone, not employer systems. Employers can generally monitor their own systems, and job applications sent from a work address are visible.
Do not use work time for applications, interviews or calls. Beyond the obvious, it undermines your position if discovered.
Take leave for interviews rather than inventing appointments. It is simpler and avoids compounding the situation with dishonesty.
Be careful with professional network settings, which can notify contacts when a profile is updated. Most platforms allow this to be disabled.
References
Prospective employers usually seek references, and being asked for your current manager before you have resigned is awkward.
It is entirely normal to ask that your current employer is approached only after an offer is made and accepted, and reputable employers accommodate this.
Line up alternative referees — former managers, clients, colleagues who have left — so you are not dependent on the current one.
If you are asked directly
Being asked whether you are looking is uncomfortable. Deciding your answer in advance is better than improvising.
You are not obliged to disclose, and outright dishonesty carries its own risk if you resign shortly afterwards.
A measured answer acknowledging that you keep an eye on the market without confirming an active search is a common approach.
Restrictive covenants
Check your contract before applying to competitors. Non-compete and non-solicitation clauses may restrict where you can go and who you can approach.
Enforceability varies by jurisdiction and clauses are frequently drawn more widely than a court would uphold, and a prospective employer may still be deterred by the risk.
Where a covenant is a genuine obstacle, take advice before accepting an offer rather than afterwards.
Working the notice well
This is what people remember and what determines the reference.
Document processes, write handover notes, and brief whoever takes over.
Finish what can be finished, and be honest about what cannot.
Resist the temptation to disengage. Notice periods are short and reputations are long, and sectors are smaller than they appear.
Before you leave
Save personal documents you are entitled to keep — payslips, contracts, your own certificates. Do not take employer data, client lists or confidential material.
Connect with colleagues personally so the network survives losing access to the work directory.
Confirm final pay, outstanding leave and any pension arrangements in writing.
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