Would you tell your boss you've got an interview?
Discussion
I'm a contractor at the moment and have been looking for a new job recently. I've got an interview soon and I have no idea whether to tell my boss. I get on well with him and he's apparently looking to get me a proper role with the company, but I'm not confident he can pull that off. I'm not well paid at all and don't consider that I'm in a position that's at all stable, although the role I'm in is pretty vital.
So, is the done thing to tell a boss you're looking for other work or keep it quiet until you have a firm job offer?
So, is the done thing to tell a boss you're looking for other work or keep it quiet until you have a firm job offer?
I suspect only you have enough knowledge of your relationship with him to answer this properly but from my own point of view I'd probably have that chat with him and pretty much say exactly what you've said here.
Ultimately most of us work in the hope it pays the bills and offers an element of security, if we can enjoy it a little at the same time then that's a bonus - you have to do what's best for you, just make sure the boss understands this.
I would see how the interview goes. I'm in a very similar position and had to admit I was looking after the second interview as the notice period was going to give me problems with getting a particular job. Of course I negotiated down on my notice period and have heard nothing back from the interview 3 weeks ago.
I've now been given 6 weeks notice, although that was pretty much inevitable anyway given that the work I do has all but disappeared.
I've now been given 6 weeks notice, although that was pretty much inevitable anyway given that the work I do has all but disappeared.
If you hire contractors, you should be prepared to replace them quickly if necessary. I was in exactly this situation and said nothing until I had the signed offer. Past experience was that the "budget" for a role I had even been verbally offered fell through.
I offered to work a reasonable notice above required of me, and actively helped recruit a replacement- I think this approach is fair enough, especially as I could have had my contract terminated within a week.
I offered to work a reasonable notice above required of me, and actively helped recruit a replacement- I think this approach is fair enough, especially as I could have had my contract terminated within a week.
No.
No.
No.
In the nicest possible way the first inkling your boss would get is when you take a couple of short notice holiday days or similar and then call for a quick chat once you have made up your mind you are accepting a position elsewhere.
Contract workers might apply different rules as it could be part of negotiation for an extension.
Little good comes telling them any earlier and in the unlikely event you gain Brownie points or get made an offer you can't refuse to stay on a question will always be exist over your commitment to your employer.
No.
No.
In the nicest possible way the first inkling your boss would get is when you take a couple of short notice holiday days or similar and then call for a quick chat once you have made up your mind you are accepting a position elsewhere.
Contract workers might apply different rules as it could be part of negotiation for an extension.
Little good comes telling them any earlier and in the unlikely event you gain Brownie points or get made an offer you can't refuse to stay on a question will always be exist over your commitment to your employer.
paulm1979 said:
I'm a contractor at the moment and have been looking for a new job recently. I've got an interview soon and I have no idea whether to tell my boss. I get on well with him and he's apparently looking to get me a proper role with the company, but I'm not confident he can pull that off. I'm not well paid at all and don't consider that I'm in a position that's at all stable, although the role I'm in is pretty vital.
So, is the done thing to tell a boss you're looking for other work or keep it quiet until you have a firm job offer?
Are you actually a contractor or are you a pseudo-permy? So, is the done thing to tell a boss you're looking for other work or keep it quiet until you have a firm job offer?
russ_a said:
I'm a permie and have a couple of interviews lined up. I was thinking of telling my boss tomorrow and why I was looking to leave..
The hope being a better role is offered without having the ball ache of all the interviews first!
Interesting way to play it, not the way I'd go personally.The hope being a better role is offered without having the ball ache of all the interviews first!
I'm contracting and my boss keeps suggesting going permanent, and that fact alone is enough to make me start looking to move sooner rather than later.
But anyway, I had an approach from an agency about a contract in a different division of the same company about a mile away but on 'considerably' more than my current rate. Given that the hiring manager is bound to contact my current hiring manager, I'm not even going there. When my contract is up for renewal in 2 months, and I've got a written contract ready to sign. Then I'll get out the job spec that includes the rate and suggest a rate increase. In the meantime I'm now telling any agency that contacts me that I'm looking for the higher of the 2 rates, and they go all quiet, so I suspect that there's an agency battle going on.
But anyway, I had an approach from an agency about a contract in a different division of the same company about a mile away but on 'considerably' more than my current rate. Given that the hiring manager is bound to contact my current hiring manager, I'm not even going there. When my contract is up for renewal in 2 months, and I've got a written contract ready to sign. Then I'll get out the job spec that includes the rate and suggest a rate increase. In the meantime I'm now telling any agency that contacts me that I'm looking for the higher of the 2 rates, and they go all quiet, so I suspect that there's an agency battle going on.
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