Looking for a new job while still employed: confidentiality, interview timing, and ethics
Looking for a new job while still employed has clear advantages: your income keeps coming, you're not pressured into accepting the first offer, and you negotiate from a stronger position. But the process needs care so your current work doesn't suffer and your relationship with your manager stays good.
Resmi.ID Team · 4 min read ·
The core principle: while you're still being paid, your responsibilities to your current job still apply. Job hunting happens on your own time and with your own resources. Keeping your performance up during this period also protects you if the search ends up taking months.
Keep it confidential
- Use your personal email and phone number, not your work email.
- Don't use your work laptop or office network to apply or upload your CV.
- Don't tell colleagues, even close ones. News like this spreads easily.
- Be careful with conspicuous LinkedIn changes, such as a public “Open to Work” status.
- On your CV, mention your role and achievements, not confidential company data such as client names or sensitive internal figures.
On KarirResmi, your contact details are hidden from companies until you pass CV screening. This reduces the risk of your number and email spreading widely, including possibly to companies connected to your current employer.
Scheduling interviews
This is the biggest challenge. Most interviews take place during working hours, and you can't keep disappearing without a reason.
- 1Ask for off-peak slotsEarly morning before work, lunchtime, or after work.
- 2Prefer online interviews early onThey're easier to arrange from a quiet place.
- 3Take leave for final stagesIn-person interviews or long tests are better done on official leave.
- 4Batch your scheduleIf you have several interviews, try to put them on the same day.
- 5Don't interview from your deskFind a private room or do it outside the office.
If a KarirResmi interview invitation arrives at a time you can't make, use the option to request another time and propose alternatives. Recruiters generally understand that employed candidates have limited availability.
When asked “why do you want to move?”
This question is almost certain to come up. Focus on what you're looking for, not on what's wrong with your current workplace. For example: “I've handled sales administration for three years and want to grow into sales data analysis, which is the focus of this role.” Avoid criticising your manager or colleagues, because the interviewer will imagine you doing the same about them.
About references
Tell the new company that you haven't informed your current employer, so they don't contact your manager before making an offer. Prepare other references, such as a manager from a previous job or a colleague who has since moved on.
Don't resign before a written offer
A verbal offer over the phone isn't enough. Wait for a written job offer letter stating the title, salary, start date, and employment status. On KarirResmi, offer letters can be signed electronically via docs.resmi.id so everything is clear and recorded.
Once you've accepted a formal offer, check your current employment agreement and company regulations for the resignation notice period. The terms can differ between companies and contract types, so read your own documents or ask HR.
If your employer makes a counter-offer
After you resign, some managers offer a raise or promotion to keep you. Before answering, ask yourself: is pay the only reason you want to leave? If the reason is workload, learning opportunities, or your relationship with your manager, a raise rarely solves it.
Whatever you decide, tell both sides quickly and honestly. Accepting a new offer and then backing out at the last minute because of a counter-offer can damage your name with the new company and its recruiter.
Resign well
- Tell your direct manager first, in person, before the news gets around.
- Submit a short, polite resignation letter without complaints.
- Prepare handover notes: ongoing tasks, key contacts, where files are kept.
- Work as well as you can until your last day.
- Return company assets and delete company data from your personal devices.
The working world in Indonesia is often smaller than you think. The manager and colleagues you leave on good terms today may become your references, clients, or colleagues again in the future.
