It’s a small world and I was horrified that I had been so careless and thoughtless. I was lucky that it didn’t cost me my job. I think it’s really important for everyone to be aware of how much information you can give away in seemingly innocent conversations.”
I recently learned a valuable lesson about the importance of being aware of what information you share, especially when it comes to realtors. I was invited to a campus visit for a final round, multiday faculty interview. As part of the visit, the department arranged for a realtor tour one evening. After meeting with the realtor, we exchanged contact information and were communicating via my personal email.
A few days after returning home, I was surprised to find a hand-addressed thank you card in my office mailbox. It was from the realtor and had the return address of the city and state where I’d interviewed. Everyone in the office immediately recognized the city’s name and it was easy to put two and two together.
Fortunately I hadn’t received an offer yet, and no one knew I was considering leaving my job. I was in the middle of negotiating a renewed contract. When people in my office found out, some were weird or rude and some were happy for me.
I was so embarrassed that I’d been so careless with the information I was sharing. It was a small world and I was lucky it didn’t cost me my job. It’s important to be aware of how much you can give away in seemingly harmless conversations.