A Word About Moving On

If you are looking for another job, you should:

--Keep your job search to yourself—don’t set yourself up to become the topic of office gossip;

--Look for job opportunities that exceed those available with your current employer (e.g., financial and emotional reward, opportunity to advance, education/training, etc.);

--Compile a list of strong references;

--Get detailed letters of reference from trusted coworkers and supervisors;

--Be honest on your resume;

--Sell yourself and your accomplishments without bragging. Make sure to mention your work on projects which may be similar to work being done at your prospective employer’s company;

--Dress appropriately and professionally for your job interview;

--Consider temp agencies; and

--Depending on your circumstances (e.g., you are leaving your job because of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation) you may want to look into filing a complaint with EEOC or your state’s Office of Human Rights.

DON’T:

--Bash your current or former employers on job interviews;

--If you had work-related problems at work, don't mention that you are involved in any work-related lawsuits or use your supervisor as a reference or contact person for your employment verifications (use HR, which knows that false and negative/malicious job references (blacklisting) is be illegal);

--Go to interviews unprepared. You should know what the company you’re interviewing with is involved in and find ways to incorporate your knowledge about the company into your discussions with the interviewer;

--Lie about your skills; or

--Be sarcastic or rude with the interviewer.