The Right Way to Walk on Eggshells

Okay, so I get to work today, and I've got an angry email from my editor wondering why I'm interviewing for other jobs without conferring with him first.

Turns out, this other paper I simply did a feeling-out phone interview with had called up my editor without even asking if that was okay first. Isn't that why people are supposed to ASK FOR YOUR REFERENCES!?

Now I'm in the doghouse at my current spot, and I'm royally pissed at the place I just did the phone interview with.
How should I handle this in the future?

 

How do you let your current boss know you're looking around?

That seems a bit counter-productive.

A good boss would want employees who are desired by other companies and then, if possible, do what is needed to keep them or give them a hearty handshake on the way out.

 

Stick2,

No.1 -- You gotta know by putting your name out there it could get back to your boss.

No.2 -- I still wouldn't tell my boss unless I had an offer or was turning in my notice.

No.3 -- I'd look even harder.

 

I had a boss go apeshit on me because someone else wanted to interview me. It only made me that more determined to get the other job.
You should probably do the same.

 

I'm surprised the other shop called your current boss. I would not generally use my editor as a reference for that very reason.

 

Sounds like two guys I wouldn't want to work for

 

Was that even in English?

Regardless, my boss knows I'm looking. Hell, most of my paper knows I'm looking. I always believe in being up front, but I've also been blessed with having pretty cool bosses who were good people first.

 

I'd handle whether to tell the boss on a case-by-case basis. Really, you can't give blanket advice on that one.

 

It depends on your relationship with your boss. The first person I worked for in the business was all about helping me and was fine with me looking as long as I did it the right way, and that's the way I do it now with the people who work for me.
It also helps to have some bosses from the other side who show you how to NOT treat people. And I've had a couple of those, too.

 

With all due respect to Moddy, my standard answer is NEVER tell your boss when you're leaving.

In just about every field you could think of, that's career suicide. Some bosses will fire their employees if they find out they're looking elsewhere.

If you have a very close relationship with your boss and you know he or she's not going to do that, that might be a different story. Even then, your boss may seem like the coolest person on earth but turn around and fire you if he or she finds out you've even put a resume out there.