LinkedIn has become one of the most popular platforms for job seekers and employers alike. With over 740 million members, LinkedIn offers access to a massive network of professionals and an abundance of job opportunities. However, many employees use LinkedIn discreetly to look for new jobs without notifying their current employer. There are valid reasons for discreetly searching while employed, such as looking to advance your career, seeking better compensation, or wanting to escape a bad work environment. The key is to utilize LinkedIn’s features strategically to keep your job search confidential.
Why search for jobs discreetly?
Here are some common reasons for wanting to search discreetly:
- Looking to advance your career – You may feel stuck in your current role and want to explore new opportunities to advance.
- Seeking better pay – You may be unhappy with your current compensation and want to discover roles that pay more.
- Wanting to escape a bad boss or work culture – You may have a difficult manager or find the work culture toxic, prompting a confidential search.
- Feeling undervalued – You may not feel appropriately valued or recognized for your contributions.
- Preparing for future layoffs – You may see signs that layoffs are coming and want to get ahead of it.
- Curiosity – You may just be casually curious about opportunities, with no intention of immediately leaving.
The bottom line is that searching discreetly allows you to explore options with minimal risk. You avoid signaling to your employer that you might leave before you’re ready. It gives you greater control and flexibility to make a move at the right time for you.
Set your profile to private
The first step is adjusting your LinkedIn settings to keep your profile and activity private from your connections:
- Go to your Profile settings
- Under “Visibility”, select “Private” mode
- This ensures only you can view the full details of your profile
- Double check that “Profile viewing options” is set to “Private”
With a private profile, your connections will only see limited information like your name, headline, and photo. All other details will be hidden.
Review your connections
Carefully review your connections and remove anyone who may share information about your search with your employer. You don’t want word getting back unexpectedly.
- Go to your connections
- Sort by employers to easily identify current coworkers
- Remove any connections who may discuss your search activities with your company
Be cautious about connecting with recruiters or contacts at your dream companies, as this publicly shows interest. Save those connections for when you’re ready to seriously look.
Toggle off notifications
Disable notifications to avoid any revealing activity broadcasting to your connections.
- Go to Settings & Privacy
- Under communications, select “Turn off notifications”
- Alternatively, modify settings for individual notifications
- Turn off announcements, reminders, new mentions, etc.
With notifications off, your activity across LinkedIn will remain private. Your connections won’t receive alerts that could uncover your search.
Leverage LinkedIn’s privacy settings
Take advantage of LinkedIn’s privacy controls to discreetly search:
- Turn on private mode when browsing profiles and job postings so visits aren’t public
- Anonymize your profile when applying to jobs so employers only see limited details
- Research companies discreetly using anonymous browsing on your mobile app
Adjust settings like Do Not Broadcast so applying for jobs doesn’t get announced. Use options like Private Mode strategically to keep your search confidential.
Be selective when engaging with content
Keep social activity low-key. Be selective about content you engage with to avoid associating yourself with job searching publicly:
- Be careful about liking or commenting on career-related posts
- Avoid sharing job hunting articles or content
- Don’t join career-focused groups where your membership will be public
- Engage professionally with a mix of content to avoid suspicions
Minimal, mixed engagement helps avoid the perception that you are actively looking. Interact just enough to maintain an updated profile, without giving away your search.
Customize visibility when updating your profile
Make profile changes selectively visible. Update details important for jobs, but limit visibility.
- Expand your skills and accomplishments, but exclude your current employer from seeing them
- Update your summary statement, but limit visibility to only yourself
- Add new projects and achievements, but exclude your network from seeing them
This allows you to refresh your profile while preventing updates that may alert your employer from being visible.
Phrase descriptions carefully
Craft neutral wording in your profile and application materials. Avoid overt signs you are job searching:
- Say you are “open to opportunities” rather than “actively looking”
- Describe yourself as “exploring options” rather than “job hunting”
- Discuss “seeking challenges” rather than “wanting to leave my company”
Positive, forward-looking language preserves a low profile. Prevent language that directly calls out disengagement from your current role.
Save jobs discreetly
Use job saving features, but avoid public visibility:
- Save jobs you are interested in applying for, but toggle the visibility off
- Follow companies discreetly to be notified of opportunities, but anonymize your profile first
- Turn off public sharing so saving jobs remains private
Saving jobs allows you to easily track opportunities but do so confidentially to avoid signalling your search efforts.
Apply strategically
Adjust your application settings, materials, and timing to apply discreetly:
- Customize visibility settings when applying to exclude your network
- Craft a confidential version of your resume and cover letter without current company details
- Apply for positions in batches rather than consistently over time
- Follow up at later stages once you have momentum, rather than right after applying
Thoughtful application habits prevent your search from being apparent to your employer prior to getting serious interest from new companies.
Leverage your network cautiously
Tap your network for advice and referrals, but realize connections can undermine your discretion:
- Be selective about who you approach, considering their reputation and employer
- Frame inquiries broadly, not calling out you are looking to leave
- Meet contacts offline or speak by phone to avoid online visibility
- Avoid mentioning to connections that you are searching discreetly
While networking is critical, handle conversations delicately and be selective to maintain your privacy.
Remove footprints when going public with your search
When ready to broadcast your search openly, wipe away any footprints compromising discretion:
- Delete any previously saved jobs
- Remove anonymous browsing filters from your profile
- Eliminate any stealth changes visible once privatization is removed
- Turn notifications and public sharing of your job seeking activity back on
Presenting an aligned public persona avoids backtracking questions about any secrecy.
If asked, be diplomatic about your search
If questioned by your employer, avoid lying but maintain discretion:
- Say you are casually keeping tabs on the job market without concrete plans
- Note you were approached about an opportunity but have made no decisions
- Cite curiosity about compensation norms and responsibilities at other companies
- Stress you are committed to your work and team, while open-minded
Deflect and equivocate to avoid appearing dishonest. Demonstrate you are focused in your current role while open-minded.
Prepare excuses if caught red-handed
If confronted with evidence, have innocent reasons for your activity:
- Explain you are supporting a colleague’s job search for moral support
- Note you have a family member or close friend who asked for advice with their search
- Say you are catching up or networking with old colleagues, not actually looking
- Attribute it to casual professional development research to stay atop industry trends
Plausible excuses in case you are caught searching preserves credibility and avoids damage.
When to halt a discreet search
At times, it may become necessary to suspend or end a private job search:
- If you receive a promotion or pay increase, reassess whether you still want to leave
- If a planned exit could sabotage an important project or deadline
- If the job market shifts, requiring more time for opportunities
- If you get a sense you are being closely monitored by your employer
- If your personal financial situation improves and reduces urgency
Analyze conditions regularly to determine if a confidential search still makes sense for your situation.
When to transition to an open search
Typical signs indicating it is time to go public with your efforts:
- You have interviews lined up with strong potential opportunities
- You have an offer in hand from another employer
- You feel confident resigning regardless of having another job secured yet
- You question the ethics of continuing to receive a paycheck while deceiving them
- Your manager quits unexpectedly, prompting a quicker exit
Once conditions are optimal to leave, cleanly transition to an open search or resignation.
Keep emotions in check
Discreetly searching while employed commonly stirs up mixed emotions:
- Excitement about the possibilities ahead
- Anxiety that your employer may find out
- Guilt about harboring an exit plan unknown to your employer
- Fear that openly searching could jeopardize your current job
- Confidence from feeling valued by new job prospects
Recognize this emotional rollercoaster is normal but avoid letting it sabotage your discretion.
Reflect on lessons learned
Once you have secured new employment, reflect on key lessons:
- Consider how your new position better aligns with your values
- Identify tactics that worked well in searching discreetly
- Review any close calls to improve secrecy in the future
- Weigh the ethics of concealing your search
- Remember the feeling of being undervalued that prompted your search
Leverage this experience to make future career moves with confidence.
Conclusion
Searching for a new job while currently employed can easily create anxiety about getting caught. But utilizing LinkedIn’s privacy settings and features strategically allows you to gain access to opportunities confidentially. Adjust configurations and habits to conduct a discrete search in plain sight. With caution and common sense, you can land your next position without jeopardizing your current one.