There is more to applying for a job internally (within your company) than just posting for it – here’s what you can do to give yourself an advantage:

Assess Your Skills and Qualification for the Position – be objective and realistic. Identify gaps and determine if there are transferrable skills that apply. Transferable skills are core competencies that can apply across functions/industries.

Update Your LinkedIn profile – Hiring Managers are checking out your profile – even for internal positions. Also be mindful of what’s posted on your personal social media accounts – although most hiring policies prohibit using this information – present yourself in the most positive light.

Talk with the Hiring Manager & Recruiter (before you apply) – it’s an opportunity to find out details that are not in the job posting, gives you insight into the style and personality of the manager, puts your name top of mind when he/she is screening applicants.

• What to Ask – is this a new role or a backfill, describe your ideal candidate, what are the most important qualifications and those least important? Take detailed notes.
• What to Share – after listening carefully to the Hiring Manager’s answers – highlight very briefly the skills and experience you have that match the critical qualifications and ideal candidate attributes.
• Plan for a 15 minute conversation – send a calendar invite for 30 minutes; include your desire to discuss the position and the conversation should only take 15-30 minutes. Hiring Managers are many times overloaded and getting their attention can be challenging. It’s important that this is a conversation not an email exchange.

Include a Resume and Cover Letter – submitting a job posting is not enough – even for an internal job. Your resume gives a complete picture of your experience. Use the cover letter to speak directly to your interest and qualifications for the position (use insights from your conversation with the hiring manager, include examples that connect the dots on transferrable skills).

Do Your Research – reach out to contacts in your network and use other tools/resources (business & industry websites, LinkedIn).

• Develop a profile of the organization (business overview, business performance & goals, organizational culture, challenges they are facing)
• Gain insights about the Hiring Manager (prior roles, leadership style, etc.)

Fill in the Gaps – if you are missing direct experience or knowledge – learn more about it to prepare for the interview. For example if the position requires specific systems knowledge (e.g. SAP, etc) – get an overview/training from a knowledgeable resource in your network or via a referral.

Applying and interviewing for internal jobs is becoming standard practice, management directed transfers are less common. Be prepared to invest the same amount of effort for an internal job – as you would if you applied externally – it will be well worth the investment.

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