How should I handle my boss if he or she finds out I am job hunting?

Having your construction resume or social media resume live on the internet, or being seen with the competition may not mean that you are looking to make a job change or dissatisfied with your current job or employer.

You don't want to lie, but if you are caught talking to a recruiter, potential employer, or having your resume on the market, it might be that you were curious to learn more about current job opportunities as a measuring tool and not necessarily because you are looking to make a job move. Often recruiters or competitors will contact you with job opportunities that are unsolicited, and for you to listen is not uncommon. Even your boss is likely to know or work with industry recruiters or be approached by industry colleagues about career opportunities. Listening to job opportunities does not mean you are trying to leave your employer.

If you are confronted, you might express that you are regularly approached with job opportunities by employers and recruiters, but are not proactive in a job search. The key is to maintain your integrity and respect general business ethics by avoiding working on your resume or interviewing with other firms on your employer's time. Also at the construction management or construction executive level, you are likely speaking with construction recruiters about candidates they are marketing or positions you are considering hiring them for.

Most construction employers today assume that their top people are continually being hounded by construction recruiters, and are realistic about your willingness to listen to what's out there.