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Author: Lavie Margolin, Career Coach

The job search can be a long and arduous process. Several weeks can turn into several months. Once we find a job, we can’t wait to tell everyone we know, including our LinkedIn contacts. Hold off on telling them just yet.

It is not uncommon for a new employee to start a job and quickly leave it. Perhaps they realized it was not what they were looking for? The commute is more taxing than they expected? Co-workers are not welcoming? Perhaps the company hits an unexpected iceberg and has to make the difficult decision of laying off new staff? Or perhaps you realized your skills are not quite what they expected? Perhaps you never actually start the job after getting greater clarity on the salary, demands of the position or commuting time? Or perhaps something comes up in your personal life that affects your ability to begin?

Having to deal with any one of these things is difficult enough. Imagine if you had let everyone in your network know that you were about to start a new job. People often mean well but they can be a bit too curious: What happened Why didn’t you start? How could you have left already?

If someone notices that you are updating your LinkedIn profile with a new job every few months, it will bring about concerns on that person’s behalf of your ability to maintain and keep a job. They might be hesitant to refer you to one of their trusted contacts. Wait awhile to update your experience section on LinkedIn with your new job. Make sure you are comfortable with the new company and they are comfortable with you. No need to update your network on your comings and goings until things are set.

About the Author: Lavie Margolin is a New York-based Career Coach and the author of Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers. To learn more, go to Lavie’s website, Lion Cub Job Search:www.Lioncubjobsearch.com