Should you tell your boss that you’re job hunting?

Everyone considers leaving their current job at some point. In fact, according to CNN, millennials will average four job changes before the age of 32.  Those 40-year career employees are probably extinct.

So everyone looks, but what do you tell your employer, if anything, when the hunt becomes serious?

Telling an employer that you want a new job forces the boss to plan to do without you sooner or later. Remember, it could be sooner.

With that in mind, here are a few things to consider.

According to Inc. magazine, assess the situation first. The standard advice is not to tell the employer until there is an acceptance letter in hand, but there are times when it is okay to share. If you like your company, but you are leaving anyway, you could help the transition by telling the boss you are looking.

How will the employer take this? No one is indispensable. No one is irreplaceable. But the boss might compete to keep you, so that could be one benefit of telling. Look at how the boss handled the last employee who left. That will be your best indicator. If they didn’t respond with anger and negative punishments and there is a great personal relationship, then it might make a case for being open with communication. When they are in the know, they will have the opportunity to help in the transition or even serve as a reference for the new job, if necessary.

If you decide not to tell the boss, then Forbes highlights a few things to be mindful of during a secret search.

* Keep up appearances: Don’t change behavior in such a way as to tip someone off. Keep your performance high. Don’t use the company fax or other resources to send resumes. Maintain your usual dress and manner.

* Don’t tell others. In most cases, telling one person might as well be telling the entire office. So, don’t do it. Don’t use any co-workers or managers as a reference unless there is an excellent reason.

* If the boss finds out, own up. If confronted by a suspicious boss, it is not the time to lie. It could lead to future bad references or other negative consequences. Just tell the truth.