By Peter Studner

During the darkest days of the Great Recession, any person fortunate enough to be reliably employed clung to his or her job for dear life, no matter if it was unfulfilling or extremely stressful or a dead end. A paycheck, after all, was a paycheck. But now that the job market is improving, discontented and underemployed workers are beginning to seek out new opportunities.

If you're one of them, I advise you to take a moment to formulate a strategy before sending out piles of résumés.

Finding a job that's a better fit for you is a great goal, and in some cases, it can be wise to keep your job search confidential from your current employer. A successful job search campaign might take several months—or even longer—to conduct, and employers might possibly show you the door tomorrow if they learn you're planning to move on. Take steps to ensure that you leave on your own terms and timeline.

Here is some advice on keeping your job search confidential:

Don't be a blabbermouth. Sure, you might be excited about your plans for the future, but think twice (and maybe three times) about who you share them with. Do not mention your search to anyone other than interested parties. Be sure to explicitly ask them to keep your campaign confidential.

Be mindful of who has a copy of your résumé. Keep in mind that anyone who has your name can find who your present employer is online, so be discreet in circulating your résumé—even if you've purposefully been vague in describing your current position.

Don't conduct your job search on company time. Do not use your organization's computers to send out personal correspondence or to do online job searches. Some employers may have methods to check computer usage and browser history. But beyond that, it's best to conduct your job search with integrity. Don't take away time and resources from your current employer. Use your personal laptop or mobile device on your own time.

Don't make it "Facebook official." Do not discuss your campaign on any social or professional media—even if your privacy settings are strict. Use LinkedIn, however, to identify people in organizations you wish to approach.

Meet with your references ahead of time. Discuss your search plans only with references you can trust. Actually, I recommend talking or meeting with your references before launching your job search campaign. Talk about your goals and your desire to keep your search quiet. Make sure your references are prepared to support claims you've made about your achievements, skills, and experience without sharing information you'd rather keep confidential.

Be wary of blind ads. In general, I warn job seekers to be wary of blind advertisements that don't identify the advertiser and often use ambiguous language. Sometimes blind ads do advertise an actual job; other times, however, they represent a recruiter searching for assignments, candidates, or both. If you're currently employed, you risk exposure by applying to blind ads because you don't know who is on the other end. If the ad seems too good to pass up, ask a trusted friend to apply on your behalf without revealing your identity.

Work with recruiters who will respect your confidentiality. Keep in mind that most recruiters are hired by organizations to fill open positions. They work primarily for their clients, not for you, the candidate. The point is, don't blindly trust recruiters. Ask for assurances that your name and information will be kept confidential unless you give permission otherwise.

As long as your job search is confidential, you might want to consider omitting the name of your current organization on the résumé you provide recruiters—merely list the industry. If you have skills that you know recruiters are looking for and wish to be a little daring, write a cover letter sharing information about yourself without indicating you are seeking to make a change.

That way, if your letter ever reaches your current employer, your desire for a change will be less evident. For example, “Dear Executive Recruiter, I do not believe I am in your database of public managers. As part of my career maintenance, I am enclosing my current résumé. If I can ever assist you with referrals from my network, I would be delighted to help.”

Schedule meetings in your free time. Whenever possible, arrange meetings and interviews after work hours or on weekends. This will help prevent inconvenient questions and unfavorable assumptions by your employer. For out-of-town interviews, use your vacation time—preferably before dipping into sick days or family leave.

All of this said, bear in mind that you don't absolutely, without question, have to keep a job search campaign confidential if you're currently employed. If you have a sympathetic, supportive team leader or superviser and it's clear that you are in the wrong position, underemployed, or unhappy, you might discuss with him or her your desire to make a change. (Use your judgment—you probably have a good idea of how your superviser will react to this news.)

Indicate that, if needed, you will stay to work with your successor for a smooth transition and ask for your superviser's support. He or she might even go out of his or her way to help you.