It's not about WHAT you know, it's about WHO you know.

This can't be more true when applying for a new position within your company. To give you all a little bit of background, I have been working at my company for 1 year and 2 months. Within this time period, I completed my training program, transitioned to a new role, interviewed for 2 other positions, and nailed a spot on my dream team!! That's 2 promotions (3 roles) in less than a year and a half!

Let me begin by saying, applying for a new role once you are already working in the field is NOTHING at all like applying for jobs in college. In fact, it couldn't be any more different. I want to share with you the steps I took in nailing my 6 interviews for my promotion and what extra things I did to set me apart.

1. Connect with the hiring manager BEFORE the req is out

I once heard someone say "you should never stop interviewing, even if you have a job" and I fully support this 100%! Even if you just got your job offer, you should always always always think about the next step. Think about where you want to be 1, 3, 5 years from now (for more on this, see my "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" article.

Whether you are actively looking or passively searching, building your network should be the #1 action item on your list. Job reqs come and go. If there isn't one open now, there will be one in the future. By connecting with people, especially a hiring manager, you are making yourself known to them. EVERY single manager has what they call a "bench" for potential candidates to fill their roles. With the fluctuation in teams, the market, and the company, there's bound to be a position available some time or another. I knew I wanted to work within a specific department within my company. I established earlier on that this is my goal and reached out to the manager and scheduled an informational 1:1. I asked her about her team, the day-to-day life, expectations of someone on her team, and frankly: if she sees an opening for her team in the near future.

Establishing this relationship early on helped me keep up with what's going on in the team and displayed my interest to the hiring manager.

2. Do extensive research on the requirements for the role

You want to be able to show that you are well qualified for this role - even if you don't have all the required experience needed for the role. To be able to prove that, you need to:

a. Read the job description all the way through to make sure you pass the minimum requirements

b. Connect with individuals on the team to understand what the most important skills are!! I reached out to 3-4 candidates on the team I was interested in and asked them about their role, what they liked, what they wish they had known before starting, and what they would advise to someone interested in that role. Asking these questions gave me a clear view as to what I was looking at and if that is something that aligned with who I am. I then began to compare it to my experiences in case that's brought up in the interview to show that I am capable of the requirements. In fact, I even made a list to show off my capabilities, and my experiences (more on this in bullet point #4!!)

3. Reach out to those who recently went through a similar interview process

Okay I felt really weird about this at first because it felt like cheating in a way but this is normal, trust me. If you know of someone who has recently gone through a similar interview, whether it is for the same team or for the same organization, DO NOT BE AFRAID to reach out to them!! Ask about their experiences, you'll be surprised how much they share with you!!

I mentioned earlier, I went through 2 internal interview processes. The first time, I didn't ask anyone about their experience and just went for it. And guess what? I failed in the first round. I didn't know what to expect, it was intimidating, and they "did not move on with my application".

Next time, I knew better. I reached out to 2 of my contacts and they gave me their tips + tricks for that specific interview process and I was more prepared than ever before!

4. Prepare materials to showcase your work

This is the most important step and it was what set me apart. I cannot emphasize this enough! Naturally, you have your resume when applying to a position but that in itself is not enough.

Let those creative juices flow. How else can you showcase your work? How else can you share your experiences? Here are some ideas:

Create a portfolio website for each meaningful project/experience
Create a video on what you've accomplished so far
Create a list of accomplishments with quotes/recommendations from people you've worked with
Create a powerpoint presentation highlighting the your work
This is exactly what I did. I created a powerpoint slide deck with 3 slides (remember: no one likes long presentations):
Slide 1: About Me
I shared pictures of what I like to do: my interests, hobbies, activities, pictures of my family, my dog, etc. This is to make it more personable and fun!
Slide 2: Professional Overview
I created a timeline of the highlights in my professional history. From graduating college to working on projects to switching teams. I showcased what I have worked on so far and what skilled I learned in each one of them. This is a more creative/fun way to show-off your accomplishments rather than sending your boring black and white text filled resume. Make it creative! Make it colorful!
Slide 3: 30/60/90
I created a 3 part chart on what my goals are 30-60-90 days into the role. This is huge! It shows your interest in the role, shows that you have thought about what it's like to be in that position, and how you decide to make the most of it!

5. Send a follow up email. ALWAYS

The purpose of a follow-up email after your interview round is to clarify any remaining questions that you weren't able to answer in the interview itself, to thank them for their time, and reiterate why you are interested in the position

6. Let them know how excited you are!

I've said this over and over again but true excitement is shown despite you explicitly saying it. I want to use this bullet point to emphasize the importance of your body language.

Before the interview, send in your prepared materials!
When an interview is scheduled, arrive a couple of minutes early - whether it's in person or virtual.
During the interview, smile, ask questions, show that you are interested.
After the interview, send a follow up email and explicitly say that you are excited and looking to hearing back from them!

I really hope that helps you get started! If you are looking for exacts scripts/materials I used, feel free to contact me. Would love to help :)

How To Navigate An Internal Job Transfer