Would you tell your boss you're starting to look for another job?

[Anonymous]

I'm just starting to look/apply for positions at other companies in a field that is related to mine but somewhat different type of work (meaning: places where my bosses have contacts but are not competitors). Would you tell your boss? I've always gotten good reviews and have a good relationship with my two bosses. I worry that if I don't tell them they will hear from one of their contacts at these different places. But if I tell them and it takes me a while to get something else, which just might in this economy, I worry that they won't have any motivation to give me good assignments, may treat me differently, etc. If I tell them, they may be willing to help me out, since I wouldn't be going to a competitor and they know the other stuff is more in line with what I want to do in the long-run (I've been very honest with them). What would you do? Have any of you let a a boss know you were looking for a different job? How did it turn out?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Hell no! The only reason I might consider it is because one of your contacts may let it slip. I would ask the contacts to keep it quiet. If your bosses find out about it and confront you, then you can address it and explain your reasons for not sharing the information sooner. As kind as they may have been to you, you don't owe your boss anything more than putting in your best effort at work each day. Business is business.

[Anonymous]

Second not telling your boss. Don't needlessly jeopardize your job in this terrible economy.

[Anonymous]

Of course not!

[Anonymous]

Not unless I absolutely had to - even the nicest boss in the world can turn nasty once he or she knows an employee is leaving or looking for another job. I think prospective employers are pretty used to job seekers wanting to keep things quiet until they have an offer in hand - there's nothing wrong with being careful. I had to tell my boss I was looking for a job before I formally quit once, and it was not something I'd choose to do again - it was my first job out of college and my first boss at the organization wouldn't agree to give me a reference unless I told the new boss I was looking. New boss actually hired someone before I had another job, and though I ended up being unemployed for only about a week before I took a new job, it was stressful and awful and not something I'd ever care to go through again.

[Anonymous]

different perspective: worked for a huge law firm, and told my boss about wanting to make a change. boss was totally on board, and it worked out great. partly because only so many of us could progress, so my departure solved part of that calculation (the rest of that math is not my problem), and the job i wanted was a plum job, which i was likely to and did get, so the optics were good for all of us. but boss knows EVERYTHinG. so no hiding. and the side benefit, I was not super busy for my last few weeks.

if I thought boss could help me land the new job, and would be willing to, i would consider telling them.

but i'm not saying this will work for everyone, and i was pretty certain to get the job i wanted.

[Anonymous]

Tell only if it'd be easy to quickly replace you. Then could they replace you before you got the new job?

[Anonymous]

At a previous job, my boss hated the place too. He completely understood that I was looking. But this is probably the only instance....

[Anonymous]

Would they tell you if they were looking for someone to replace you? I doubt it. So don't tell them.