Ask the expert: A delicate position

Q: I have a working relationship with a company that I am increasingly interested in going to work for.

What is an appropriate way of somehow letting them know I would be interested should a position came up?

I am keen to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest by making myself seem available to them - after all, if no job comes from it, I will have to continue with the existing business relationship.

A: The best way to handle this depends on the nature of your current relationship with the company you would like to join.

If you are self-employed, it is probably easier.

You may already have a relationship with potential decision-makers in the area of your interest, and it is a matter of approaching them - preferably in a meeting that is separate from your normal business routine and interaction - to let them know that your existing work for the company has impressed you so much, that you would really like to join them if the opportunity ever arose.

If they have an HR manager, letting them know of your interest and asking how to find out about opportunities and hiring practices is also an option.

Even simple things like knowing their application procedures (and polishing your CV!) can help get you ready to make that transition when an opportunity arises.

If you are currently working for a supplier, it is a bit trickier to manage, as your target company may not wish to be seen as "poaching" staff and you won't want to be seen as disloyal to your current employer.

You can make general enquiries to find out about posting of jobs and hiring procedures, again through the HR manager if one is available.

To establish more direct contacts, however, you may want to be careful not to compromise your current position by using your existing business interaction to "fish" for job prospects.

It may be more comfortable to use a social approach, over lunch or coffee, to discuss your interest in general terms and get advice from the person with whom you have the closest working relationship.

Then work with your existing networks to develop a better idea of the process for identifying and applying for positions.

Assuming you have a good working relationship with members of staff, you might ask them to act as a reference for you on your application.

Some companies prefer applicants who are referred by other staff, so they can assess whether you'll fit the culture and style of the organisation.