Conducting your job search at the office?

If your last few Monday mornings at the office have consisted of pouring over the latest postings on lawjobs.com or Law Crossing while sipping your latte, you might want to think twice about making it a routine practice. I've had several candidates who found themselves jobless after their firms found out they were looking around.

In most cases, word of mouth was the culprit. A secretary hears a voice mail that was not intended for her ears and then gossips to others. Or word gets out after an attorney goes on an interview because an imprudent interviewer mentions it to someone at the attorney's firm. However, occasionally you hear about a firm that reads employee e-mails, or worse, monitors your internet activity.

I advise my candidates to use a personal e-mail address for their job search correspondence. I also recommend that candidates put their cell numbers on their resumes instead of their work numbers. The New York Times has a recent article on the perils of using the workplace as a venue for your job search.