Employee takes an interview from a competitor, CEO finds out, employee gets fired: 'I'm honestly baffled by the situation'

Looking for another job while currently employed inevitably feels like living a double life. You have to keep up with your current tasks and responsibilities at work so that nobody becomes suspicious about what you might be up to. At the same time, though, you need to make yourself available for interviews with other companies while devoting enough time and energy to preparing for those interviews so that you actually do a good job. It's a tough balancing act that few can accomplish with ease, and this employee certainly tried to pull it off. Unfortunately, it didn't exactly turn out the way they had hoped it would.

After being contacted on Indeed by a competitor, this author decided to hear what these folks had to say and took an interview with them. They weren't actually looking seriously for other job opportunities. This position would actually be a lateral move, but it would be at a company that was closer to their location and therefore more convenient for their commute. After a successful interview, the author felt good about their chances and was told they would hear more very soon. However, nothing was set in stone.

Soon thereafter, the author was confronted by their CEO, who had connected the dots and figured out that they were looking for work elsewhere. The author was backed into a corner and was unable to deny it. That's when they learned that the fragile CEO was letting the employee go as a result. The author began to suspect foul play. After all, how did the CEO figure it out? It's not like the employee was absent or doing a poor job in their current role. When the author contacted the other company, it became clear that there was, in fact, some communication behind their back.