Asking to contact your current employer is a pretty common request, one you’re likely to hear if you’re interviewing frequently. But should you comply if doing so would alert your current employer that you’re looking for a new job? And if not, how can you politely decline without looking like you have something to hide? J.T. and Dale at Work It Daily suggest you say yes, but only if you’re offered the position. They suggest the following script:

“I would be happy to have you contact my current employer after a written offer has been made to me. If we decide that I’m the fit for the job and I accept the job, I want to be the one to go in and tell them that I’m leaving so I can maintain the relationship I worked so hard to build with that company. They don’t know I’m looking for a job right now, and I feel if you contact them right now, it could throw them off-guard. I’d like to be the one to tell them. But absolutely, once we’ve decided I’m the candidate, you can contact them.”

The above script says it all – it gives you a good reason for wanting to keep your job search private while also making you appear open and respectful of your employer. This advice is worth keeping in your back pocket!

For more, keep reading at Work It Daily.

Should You Let Potential Employers Contact Your Current Employer? | Work It Daily