How to interview after starting new job?

Does anyone have experience or advice on how to interview for another job once you have started a new gig? I start working in a couple weeks but am still looking for a better job. Is there an easy way to do this so that your current employer does not hate you?

Maybe it is better to wait a few months and give the place a shot before mongering around?

34 Comments
 

Nothing about interviewing would be different than normal other than the fact that you need to have a good response ready on why you are already planning on moving after having been at a new place for a few weeks. That's going to be your biggest obstacle as most other firms will assume you will do the same to them if something "bigger and better" comes along.

You're SOL on your new employer hating you and burning bridges there.

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed." Theodore Roosevelt
 

loyalty is overrated, do what you have to do....I agree it may piss some people off but you have to look out for #1.

its one way or the other: hate me or admire.
 
  1. Draft all emails/follow-ups and send before you go to work early in the morning.
  2. All phone interviews at lunch.
  3. Stretch it out and plan for two 2nd round in one day so you can call in sick - less suspicious if you do it once than try to just take off an afternoon or morning. save calling in for interviews you REALLY would jump ship for - don't waste time on anything else.
  4. Stagger the interviews every other week if you can.
  5. You should be doing this anyway but make sure you are going the extra mile x10. Even if you hate your current place they hired you and are paying you - they deserve your attention while you are on the job.

GL

 

When I was doing it at my old firm, I scheduled all my interviews at 8am, or 5pm. So for the few days where I would come 30mins late, or leave an hour early, it was no big deal.

-MBP
 
manbearpigWhen I was doing it at my old firm, I scheduled all my interviews at 8am, or 5pm. So for the few days where I would come 30mins late, or leave an hour early, it was no big deal.

While this seems pretty straight-forward... wouldn't this make things a little difficult on your interviewers? I mean, what if they say "we're looking to bring you in on a 1st round interview, you'll be meeting with 3 people, it should take about an an hour and a half, etc." Wouldn't your interviewers kind of be annoyed they may have to stay late one night and interview someone to accommodate him? I feel like this may indirectly ruin your chances because it gives the interviewers a reason to start the interview off in a foul mood.

 
DDGM1112
manbearpigWhen I was doing it at my old firm, I scheduled all my interviews at 8am, or 5pm. So for the few days where I would come 30mins late, or leave an hour early, it was no big deal.

While this seems pretty straight-forward... wouldn't this make things a little difficult on your interviewers? I mean, what if they say "we're looking to bring you in on a 1st round interview, you'll be meeting with 3 people, it should take about an an hour and a half, etc." Wouldn't your interviewers kind of be annoyed they may have to stay late one night and interview someone to accommodate him? I feel like this may indirectly ruin your chances because it gives the interviewers a reason to start the interview off in a foul mood.

I find that 'experienced hire' interviews are far less structured and afford the interviewee much more flexibility. I never had a problem with interviewers being annoyed.

-MBP
 

agree with Something Creative. your biggest obstacle isnt your employer or when to schedule interviews, its explaining why you are looking so soon after accepting a position. you don't want to be branded a job hopper.

 

Excellent question.

I can usually roll in at 9-9:30, so I've tried to snag 8 am interviews (if people are in the office that early) and be in a little later than normal. Otherwise you just have to bite the bullet and take a long afternoon (or an entire day if you get asked to come back for the super round).

Be creative with your excuses. There's always being sick--but I've heard apartment hunting, magazine photoshoot, lunch with a foreign diplomat, charity work (I don't recommend this one...pretty sleazy to throw poor people under the bus).

Fact is, unless you tell people outright that you're interviewing, they have little documented evidence against you with which to cut you out of a deserved bonus. Just pray that you aren't stuck with a vindictive comp committee.

 

People are going to figure you out. If you're looking for another job, and people refuse to meet you after work or on the weekends, your secret isn't going to remain that way for long.

As suggested, try to plan them in advance, ask to have the interviews on Mondays/Fridays so you can ask for a long weekend, and use your holiday time accordingly. You can 'go to the doctor' once. You can 'go to the dentist' once. You can take a sick day once. You can have a friend/relative 'unexpectedly' come into the city once.

If you are a salesman/relationship manager/anyone with client contact, you can say you're going to meet a client for a long lunch/coffee/drink/early dinner.

If you're an analyst/associate in M&A, no one is going to miss you in you're gone for an hour or two, but they may wonder where you are if you're absent all day.

If you're a trader, you're going to have a rough time. In this case, when your boss asks you where you're going, just tell him you're going to bang his wife/daughter (depending on how old he is), and they 'need the dick now.'

 

don't worry too much, resumes and job apps are held in confidence (unless you're Aleksey Vayner)... list a cell phone contact and a Yahoo or Gmail address. Also, if you're using recruiters state your preference for lunch time when you can get away, or evening calls- recruiters add a false sense of urgency in that they need to talk to you 2 or 3 times during the work day, in reality, they don't.

Jobs are really tough to get right now, so it's important to keep your current position and not alienate your supervisor. Looking shady is definitely one way to do that (with email and IM, there is hardly any reason to use a telephone at work these days haha)

 

Interested in hearing responses to this as well. My group works pretty serious hours and I literally don't know my own schedule at this point. I've often wondered when I would ever have time to interview somewhere.

 

Take sick days, doctor appointments, family emergencies, etc.

I usually try to schedule an interview during a lunch hour (or after lunch).

 

Thats not a good idea, it doesn't seem like you would ever be called on considering the type of work you said you do, but still... should they expect to be able to get in touch with you and/or expect you to do something, you'll be out of touch. Its better to just claim a family emergency requiring travel to such city.

The key to successfully lying is to keep as much as possible close to the truth. That way you don't have to remember all the shit you made up since you know that everything you told the other person is based on reality except the one component you want to hide.

 
CartwrightYou think lying about a family emergency is better than being sick? Challenge.

Go with sick. It's easy. Didn't answer your cell? At the doctor/asleep/whatever. Call them back later. Phones work in other cities. I've done this several times using sick, visiting clients, etc. Sick is way easier.

Thanks for the advice. This is probably what I'm going to end up doing

 

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