Gotta be careful about answering calls at work. A lot of bosses consider it a distraction or rudeness. Best wait until break and just call back.

Not really possible. Recruiters often call you directly on a corporate branch line, no tracing. If anything, you should answer and tell them when to call you.

You should've stepped out so the boss couldn't hear you speaking, OP! YDI

Probably lucky if your boss only chewed you out. I can't count the number of FMLs I've seen where the old boss finds out the person is looking elsewhere and outright fires them.

Not that I think it's right to do that to an employee... just an unfortunate trend. :/

It may not be "right" but it is understandable. It goes the other way too, there are employees who leave with no notice when they find a better job.

While I agree that it's understandable, in an economy like this it's often not really feasible to have a break between jobs and still make ends meet, so it's necessary for employees to make sure they already have a job lined up if they are leaving. Plus, being fired makes it harder to get a job in the future when you have to answer truthfully on applications whether you've ever been fired.

You don't need a break. There is a little thing known as a "two week notice". It doesn't make it any easier on your previous employer if you just leave without a word and they still expect you there, and it certainly doesn't help yourself if you need to use them as a reference in the future. And if you think your boss would fire you if they knew you were looking for a new job, then maybe don't tell them? I dunno, it's not really that difficult is it?

You can still give a two-week notice if you're looking while still working. How many people actually only need two weeks to get a new job? Lots of employment applications ask for when you can start, and you can factor a two-week notice into that timeframe. Also, the OP didn't make a very good choice in taking a call for a different employer at their office, but they didn't intentionally tell their boss they were looking for a new job. But in other situations, the boss just finds out by accident.

The two week notice would only be given once you have a new job, obviously. I have no idea how you got the idea that I suggested otherwise. I was merely saying that no break in employment is necessary, and you can still let your previous employers know that you are leaving in two weeks once you have a new job lined up. And in OP's case I honestly don't think the FML has anything to do with their trying to find a new job. Unless OP specifically said something that would clue the employer in (which would be rather dumb), the employer would have no idea who OP was talking to. I think them yelling at OP was more about answering a personal phone call during work (which is also rather dumb).

You definitely should have waited until your break or something to take the call. A lot of work places don't tolerate it when people use or are on their phones on the job so, in this case, I'd say you're lucky your boss didn't suspend you or something.

You should try casting couch, I hear they hire everyone

Not everyone's open to doing porn lol

YDI because:

1) You are calling companies looking for jobs behind your bosses back, without being polite and letting him know

2) Answering the phone call on company time

3) Why do you need to wait for them to call you? Why didn't you take initiative and call THEM back after a couple days, to check on your application status?

That's probably why you didn't get any calls back, because you are a bad combo of lazy, lacking moral character and you're a dumbass on top of it

You need to chill.

Not everyone CAN tell their current boss if they're looking for other work, because some bosses will fire you outright the second they know. I'm sure OP would prefer to keep their job until they have a new one, so that they aren't broke for an indefinite time while looking for a new job.

I agree that people shouldn't answer their phones at work, but other than that...Seriously, calling someone a dumbass and assuming they're lazy and "immoral" just because they weren't doing things the way you would is ridiculous and childish.

I own a company and we have done over 950 jobs, and earn over $600,000 a year. What do you do?

I promise you, companies firing you for that is very rare, even in the states that are at-will. They usually only fire you if a better employee comes along. They won't like it, but if you tell them your reasonable reason for wanting to leave, they should understand.

Thats bs man. You know as well as anyone that many employers will fire you if they find out you are taking interviews while on the job.

Dude, telling me you run a company to try and sound better than me doesn't make your case more right than mine. It just makes you look like a pretentious tool. Please do yourself a favor and stop talking.

Chill out. No one cares what you do either. Stop being an ass.

Did you tell your boss that you were expecting a call? Most places don't allow cell phone at all.