Employee expresses guilt for looking for another job while on the clock, gets told to stop worrying and focus on the job search: ‘Nobody cares’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jun 9, 2026 10:30 AM EDT

If a job search is a full-time job, how are you supposed to do it while you're actually working?

People always say that you shouldn't leave your current job without having something else already lined up. Not only that, you're supposed to hand in your resignation letter and notice only after you sign a contract with a new workplace. All of that to ensure you don't find yourself completely unemployed.

Well, anyone who has ever tried to look for a job while still working in the job they intend to leave knows that this is much easier said than done. Job search takes a lot of time, energy, and resources, so much so that most people would say that it is a full-time job on its own.

So how are you supposed to do both at the same time?

That conflict is described perfectly by the employee below, who shared with a Reddit community exactly how difficult they are finding the job search process. They describe the situation as "becoming a professional spy at their own desk," and they admit that it is quite exhausting. Think about it, when you interview for a new job, you can only do so during work hours, since it is the work hours of the recruiter as well. This means that while you work, you must also find time to interview without anyone around you noticing. The employee below resorted to doing it in the bathroom or in their car, all to ensure their current employer will never find out.

And then what? You are expected to come in for an interview in person, which means missing at least a half-day at work. You might be able to get away with it for one interview or two, but who out there is able to secure a job on their first try? Most people go through dozens, if not hundreds, of interviews before getting an offer. Doing so while keeping your current job sounds like an impossible task.

Thankfully, people online have some solid advice to give this hopeless employee, so scroll down to read it all…

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