Can your boss trust you?

Posted on the September 2nd, 2008 under Careers & Education by Philippe Desrochers

Question:

I was thinking of telling my current employer that I occasionally see jobs advertisemed that I’m interested in, and aslo asking if I could use him/her as a reference. How do I go about this?

Answer:
I received a significant number of reader responses to last week’s article about job change etiquette, so I decided to include another reader question.

However, this time, I will quote a reader who passed on some very wise, open and honest advice that I knew right away I needed to share with you. I think you might be surprised by his comments.

“Dear Philippe, there is another option on the job change. Most bosses who feels they need a change can often be supported in transition by the boss, with the boss providing a reference and perhaps even some contacts for the employee.

Trust is very important. If I’m interviewing someone, I’ll ask if their current employer knows their current employer knows they are considering other jobs. If the person says yes, that reflects positively about the candidate. If they say no, that would rule the candidate out for me, nine times out of 10.

Trust, or the perceived ability to build it, is a key issue for me when hiring and lack of trust is a key issue for terminations.

In fact, even if I’m not happy with the performance (due to misaligned skill set to the job), I can be patient in helping an employee more if I feel I can still trust them. - Michael Bentley, President of Sierra Mountain Minerals.”

Next step:
Book a meeting with your manager to discuss your future. Share with them your interests in exploring new opportunities and reasons for why you feel you need a change.

Remedy:
It takes courage to face your boss like this. But often in life, when you face the fire with honesty, you grow and your career flourishes.

Email your questions to: info@Dr-Career.com. Listen to Career FastTrack “Live” Mondays at 5.30 p.m. on CiTR 101.9 FM or online at citr.ca