Job Searching While Employed: Doing It Without Getting Caught

Lock down the obvious leaks

• LinkedIn 'Open to work' — recruiters-only, never the public green frame
• Profile-change notifications — turn them off before updating anything
• Naukri visibility — hide your profile from your own company's recruiters in settings
• Contact details — use a personal email and phone, never work ones
• Devices — no applications, no interview calls, no resume files on a company laptop or VPN

Scheduling interviews

Early morning, lunch hour and after 6pm work for most first rounds, and remote interviews rarely need a full day off. When you need longer, take planned leave rather than a suspicious pattern of sick days — a week of half-days in formal clothes is noticed in every office.

References before you've resigned

Never give your current manager as a reference during the process. Offer former managers, senior colleagues who've left, or clients. If an employer insists on a current-employer reference, it's reasonable to ask that it happen only after an offer is issued — good employers accept this immediately.

The notice-period question

Indian notice periods of 60 to 90 days are common and they genuinely affect hiring decisions. State yours honestly and early; discovering it late is how offers get withdrawn. If buyout is possible, say so — it's often the detail that keeps you in the running.

Don't resign before the paperwork

A verbal offer is not an offer. Wait for the written letter with title, compensation, joining date and any conditions spelled out. Offers do get withdrawn between the call and the letter, and 'I already resigned' is a bad position to negotiate from.

Leave well

India's tech and finance circles are small; your manager's next employer may be the company you're joining in three years. Serve the notice, document your handover, and don't broadcast the new job until you've started.