By Sarah Shafer
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 12, 1998; Page F09

Deceit. Lies. Sneaking around. Secret rendezvous at odd hours. Whispered phone conversations.

No, this isn't the description of an illicit affair, but of something that feels a lot like it: looking for a job while you're in one. It's all there, the duplicity, the emotional hand wringing. Looking for a job while trying to do your best in the one you have "is a test of time-management skills, your ethics and your nerves," said psychologist and coauthor of "Work Smart" Michelle Tullier.

Indeed, a job search is hard enough without having to do it on the sly, or use your personal days to surf the Web for career information or schlep over to Kinko's to use the computers.

But while difficult, the situation doesn't have to be unbearable. We asked some experts to tell us the ins and outs of this tricky situation.

Being Open

In some industries, such as the high-tech industry, it's understood that people are moving around a lot, said Tullier. In this high turnover environment, you might not have to be as paranoid as in some others.

For example, 34-year-old Brian Cohn works as an account executive for AT&T Local Services in Washington. Because of his technical sales background and the frenetic activity in the world of telecommunications, he said, it's not unusual for him to get several calls a week from headhunters. "I'm happy where I am," he said, "but I'm not closed [to other opportunities]."

In Cohn's office, he said, "everybody gets calls," and it's not uncommon for him and his co-workers to joke around in the office about what companies have called, hoping to lure them away from AT&T. But, he said, joking is one thing, disrespect another.

"You should be careful at work," said Cohn, who said he never has long conversations with headhunters or potential employers in the office. In fact, he said, he often talks to these people only on his cell phone while he's on the road and between appointments. Most important, he said, his boss knows he's happy and they have an open relationship. And, he stressed, he never lets his numbers slip.

Having an open relationship with one's boss is another factor to weigh when deciding whether to make known your intentions to move on, said Deborah P. Bloch, coauthor of "SoulWork: Finding the Work You Love, Loving the Work You Have." Bloch said that in this situation, your boss might even be able to help you find another position. However, she warned, you must be honest with yourself about just how close you are to your superior (sharing an occasional beer, for example, makes you pals, not friends). If you wouldn't go to your boss with a personal problem at any other time, don't do it now.

Elaina Mangione, 29, had a unique situation with her former manager at an accounting firm. Not only was she friendly with her supervisor, but she also was in a position that had virtually no room for growth. In this case, she felt comfortable sharing her restlessness with her boss, who understood full well that leaving the company was one of the only ways Mangione would be able to grow professionally. Mangione's boss ended up making a call to a friend at another accounting firm, which hired Mangione shortly after.

Going Undercover

But there are ways to be discreet while keeping your conscience clean and your current boss and co-workers happy. And it's usually all about time management.

"Some people dive into [the job search] too quickly," Tullier said. Before they know it, they have too many people calling them at work, or too many job interviews to schedule. To avoid suddenly having to blow everyone off, take time before you start your search to think about your work cycle, Tullier said. For example, do you have a week of downtime coming up? Try to schedule phone calls then. Or, better yet, figure out whether you can take vacation time to conduct the bulk of your search.

Once you've decided to conduct your job hunt secretly, make sure it stays secret. Do not create your resume on your company's computer, said Bloch, or e-mail your resume from the company's computer, or ask people to respond to your work e-mail or fax. The main reason for caution is privacy, Bloch said. But in extreme cases your employer might claim "theft of services." If you're on shaky ground at work already, or have a highly temperamental boss, why risk it?

Of course, being human, there may come a time when you decide the convenience is worth the risk. In this case, learn from Mangione. When she was being wooed by a client (Crown Communications in Washington) to leave her second accounting firm, she did use minimal company resources. For example, she used the company laptop to create her resume. But, she said, she never, ever, saved the resume to the hard drive, only to a disk. And, when her potential employer sent her an e-mail, she made sure to delete it (note to computer novices: deleting a message is no good unless you also remember to empty your trash folder).

Forcing the Hand That Feeds You

And what applies at home applies at work. Sure, the thought of storming into your boss's office with another job offer in hand, demanding a promotion, is appealing. Maybe you've fantasized that he would drop to his knees and say he never appreciated how valuable you were and of course he'll give you that raise. But listen up: "He might say good luck and have a nice life," said Tullier.

Many people are tempted to search for a job in order to use an offer for leverage. It's true that a job offer can force your current manager to make a counter-offer of a better salary or more responsibility. "If you really have another job offer and you would really take it and you really [might] take a better offer at the company you're in," then use this, said Bloch. Even better, she added, make the offer sound really attractive. For example, instead of telling your boss exactly how much the other company offered to pay you, say that it puts you in another salary bracket. Then see what happens.

Don't bluff this: If you play games with companies, your reputation could suffer, "and it's amazing how small every field is," Bloch said. If you go to your boss before you have a solid offer, for example, you'll be stuck should your better offer fall through, labeled forever as the person who tried to leave but failed. Or, if you really have no intention of taking the other offer and your boss doesn't counter, you're left having to choose between accepting a job you really don't want and staying where you are and having people think you're manipulative.

Another thing to think about before going to your superior with an offer is how valued your work really is. "If you're in a high-level, high-productivity [position], then you can have some wiggle room," said Clai Collier, director of human resources operations for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of the National Capital Area. If not, don't risk making a fool of yourself.

One common mistake employees who use this bargaining tool make is overestimating how much a company will pay, especially to one whose work is not related directly to its core mission. For example, Collier said, the information technology market is obviously hot right now, and many of Blue Cross and Blue Shield's IT workers "are jumping ship left and right" to snap up better opportunities. But while Collier's company recognizes the need for good IT workers, he said, it's never going to offer a salary that competes with, say, a software developer. For those technical people who come in with salary demands above the company's normal range, said Collier, "We wish them well."

Questions about getting ahead? E-mail Sarah Schafer at schafers@washpost.com