Whether you’ve been at your job two years, or two months, if you’re motivated you will always be looking for the perfect fit. Sometimes the ideal opportunity falls into your lap by way of your company intranet. If you’re new to the internal transfer and application system don’t fret. Cathy Francois, of the APUS Career Services Blog, tells you how to apply for the job you want without hurting relationships with your peers.
How to Navigate the Internal Hiring Process Without Losing Any Friends
By Cathy Francois
Repost from APUS Career Services Blog
The setup: you’re at the office browsing through your company’s intranet site and have found that the job of your dreams is available. “Eureka,” you say to yourself as you hear the soft chorus of the heavens, as the sky opens above you; the stars are finally aligned and it’s your turn to go in. But wait a minute. You realize taking this position will require you to tell your manager. Although you like your current job, you know in your heart that you’ll have greater satisfaction moving on and moving up, yet you don’t want to inspire any hard feelings. So how do you proceed with applying for the internal position?
Here are a few key points to consider before applying for an internal position.
- Know what your company policy is. Have you met the tenure requirements, if there are any? Would you need approval from your manager to apply?
- Inform your Boss. Unless you have an openly (or suggestively) hostile relationship with your direct supervisor, I encourage having a conversation about how you would like your career path to proceed within the company prior to pursuing internal positions. This also puts them in a better position to put in a good word for you.
- Reach out to your connections. This could be your direct coworkers or those already involved in the department of interest. And if you don’t have any current connections, you don’t have to wait until there’s an open position to form them.
- Act like an external candidate. Do not assume that because you’re an internal candidate that you’re a shoe-in for the position. Prepare like you would for an outside position. Freshen up on the necessary knowledge and put your game face on.
- Do your best work. The saying goes that your reputation precedes you. Don’t make it hard for your current coworkers to say something positive about you.
Making a move forward in career doesn’t always have to involve burning bridges. Instead, see it as an opportunity to create new ones.
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