When Not to Share

Friends and Your Job Search

Competing with your friends for the same job isn’t something most people think about.  However, in my line of work I’ve seen and heard too many times where someone trusted a friend with their job search information and ended up losing out.

A job seeker who was just about to graduate from college had an interview.  She was excited about the company and the job and was told they were narrowing the search down and she was definitely one of the finalists.

She went back to school and over lunch with her friends told them all about it.  One of her classmates (graduating in the same degree program) immediately applied, interviewed and was offered the job.

Lest you think this is just happening to someone too young to know better…

One man had been searching for an executive level job for over a year.  He interviewed twice and was clearly the lead candidate.  He went to dinner with his wife and another couple.  He shared his news, the company name and how excited he was that the hiring manager implied there would be an offer coming soon.

His friend went home and applied for the same job and ultimately got it.

It would be nice to think that someone you think of as a friend wouldn’t do this, but it’s also a very competitive job market and sadly friendship comes in second to landing a job.  Be careful who you confide in!