Why go far when the good things are so near? Employees who are unhappy in their jobs don’t necessarily have to change location or industry. You do not even have to change employers. With one internal application you can leave monotony and annoying colleagues behind and start all over again. So that the internal application But if you succeed, you have to avoid the biggest stumbling blocks..
Internal application: alternative to changing jobs
Changing jobs and changing employers – they are not the same thing. Especially in bigger companies there is the possibility to look for a completely new challenge – via internal application. Typically, it comes particularly often to an internal application..
- at the end of your training or internship
- to a management position (z.B. Team leader)
- in the public sector
But beware: Changing jobs within the company is not a foregone conclusion!
You should approach it with the same verve internal application approach it like any other application. If you think you don’t need to make an effort for the internal application because the boss will already put in a good word, you are often very much mistaken.
Speaking of the boss: If you are a top performer in his department, he will be reluctant to let you go. After all, it has to fill a gap when you are no longer there. There it can happen that behind the scenes he lets his contacts play and works on the colleagues with the goal to be allowed to keep you.
On the other hand Your internal application also help you to a breakthrough. If he actively advocates for you, that can already be half the battle. He or she knows what you can and cannot do, can accurately assess and communicate your strengths and weaknesses. His word carries weight internally.
But which side is your boss on? You should sound this out in advance, before you apply internally..
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Internal application advantages
A internal application has in principle good chances. They know you, they appreciate you, they like you – advantages!
This Advantages offers an internal application:
Loyalty
Knowledge
Interim report
Find vacancies for the internal application
As a rule, you only send an internal application when you have the opportunity to do so. So if you’ve heard that something has become available next door in department XY. But you can also search for vacancies yourself at any time. For example, here:
Intranet
Bulletin board
Job boards
Colleagues
Internal application cover letter
Do not succumb to the misconception that the cover letter is not so important in an internal application. It must sit. After all, this is how you express your motivation. And the people in charge at your company are keenly interested in why you want to leave your old job and move on to a new one.
Why you want to change in the first place Apply internally and why you think you are the best person for the position, work it out in the cover letter. Don’t rattle off your stations and achievements dispassionately. It is best if the recipient gets the impression that you have been working towards this very moment.
This is how the cover letter is structured – even for an internal application:
- Sender and date
- salutation
- Introduction (motivation)
- Main part (self-marketing and competencies)
- Corporate (added value)
- Final part (introductions and dates)
- Greeting and signature
- List of assets
Forget about the internal application not your name and e-mail address – as well as your current department and office telephone number. It is not a secret that you are already employed by the company. But it could be that the recipient does not know this at all. Therefore you already have to poke him with your nose at it.
It is less favorable to address your cover letter to "Dear Sir or Madam" or "To the HR department". Either you do not know the right contacts in your own company. Or you are not able to find them out. Embarrassing!
To do this, specify the position you are seeking, a subject line that is as accurate as possible, and sign your name by hand. Below this comes the list of attachments (resume, continuing education, interim references).
The cover letter consists of a total of four parts. In the introduction, refer to the internal position you are seeking. Get to the point as quickly as possible and don’t ramble on.
The second part is about your person. You explain why you are the ideal person for the job and what qualities you possess. Part three is about your motivation. Why do you want to change internally at all? What do you expect from it? In the conclusion, which is the fourth and last part, put an exclamation mark again. You write that you are very much looking forward to a personal interview and say goodbye with best regards.
The cover letter fits on one page. You should not need more than two pages in any case.
Internal application resume
In your internal application, build your resume chronologically. This is common practice today. So you start with your current position. This also makes it easier for the recipient to classify you. And make sure you have a clean structure and clarity.
On the left are the dates, on the right are the facts. The whole thing in concise keywords, without spelling mistakes and graphical gimmicks. In the resume, you bring up your school and university education, professional stations and advanced training courses.
This is how a resume is structured – even for an internal application:
- Personal data
- Professional career
- Training or study
- School education
- Special skills (further training, IT skills, foreign language skills)
- Hobbies and interests
- Date and sign
Resume – all tips
The perfect Resume for the internal application write – here are all the tips you need for this:
Writing an internal job application: Tips
Why do you want to change jobs at all?? You should already be able to justify this very well.
Your internal application Should not look like an escape or a retort. The focus is not on your old position, but on your new. Not what you miss in the old job, but what you hope for in the new one.
Inevitably, the office radio will send out signals when your internal application gets through to your colleagues. "The tailor is no longer interested in us." "Meier thinks you’re better than us." Incendiary! You should not underestimate this. If the internal application doesn’t work out and you end up stuck at your old desk, you’ll have to get along with your old colleagues again. But if the atmosphere has been poisoned in the meantime, it can become uncomfortable.
Therefore the good advice: Don’t say a single bad word about your current position during the entire application process – and certainly not about your colleagues (even if you can’t stand them).
Another important aspect: your previous work can be reconstructed very easily. You will not get very far with exaggerations or fibs about what you have done in your previous job. Honesty and authenticity are even more important than usual for internal applications.
The question you will inevitably be asked is: Why do you want to change?? The second question: Why now of all times? You should come up with a plausible and convincing answer to this question. "It’s time for something new." "I just need to see something new."That may be so, but does that sound convincing to you?? No.
It makes much more sense to place the internal application at the preliminary end of your personal development process. You have gained so much experience, had so many successes, that you are now ready for this new role.
A personal reorientation can also be a reason. Example: You have successfully managed many customer projects as a project manager. Over the years, the topic of Big Data has become increasingly important for your customers, so you inevitably have to deal with it – and have discovered a new passion. You have then worked yourself so intensively into the subject – various seminars and further training included – that you would prefer to work in data analysis in the future.
Internal application sample
How to formulate a internal application? Here are some suggestions for you:
- I am looking for a new professional challenge, but not a new employer. I have been working for XY for more than eight years, have passed through several stations and am still very happy to be here after all these years. I have now read with interest that the position of Team Leader XY has been advertised for replacement. I would like to use this opportunity to align my personal goals with those of the company.
- I have been working as a key account manager for company XY for twelve years and during this time I have gained a lot of experience in XY as well as built up a large, international network. I hereby apply for the position of Department Manager XY, because I am convinced that I can use my know-how in this position even more effectively and profitably.
- In the past seven years, I have been able to develop outstandingly in company XY. I started at the position of junior controller, then was promoted to senior controller and took on more and more management responsibility over time. My department has been instrumental in putting the company back on a sound financial footing. Now I would like to take the next step. I hereby apply for the position of Head of Finance at XY GmbH.
- I was excited to learn that XY Company will be creating a new social media department. Therefore, I am applying for the position of Social Media Manager. I am extremely experienced and well-versed in the use of social media. My Instagram account, which I run in my spare time, now has over 100 followers.000 followers.
- I was very interested to read that the XY company is going to massively expand its activities in the Middle East. For the newly created position as Sales Manager Middle East I hereby apply. I am convinced that the position is made for me. I have proven my qualities in sales over the past years. I am also fluent in Arabic and very familiar with the corporate culture in the region.
- In three months, I will complete my training as an IT specialist at your company. Therefore I am applying for a transfer to junior developer. I have learned a lot during my training and continue to feel very comfortable here. I would now like to use my accumulated knowledge even more effectively.
Internal application closing sentence
This could be your Final sentence of your internal application formulate – some suggestions:
- I would be happy to explain the reasons and motivation behind my application in a personal meeting. I look forward to your feedback.
- I would be delighted to have the opportunity to talk to you personally about my concerns.
- I will be happy to convince you of my plan in a personal meeting.
- I would like to learn more about the vacant position and your expectations in a personal meeting.
- I am convinced to be the best solution for the advertised position. I would also be happy to tell you why I think this way – preferably in a personal conversation.
The 5 biggest mistakes with internal application
Internal application – the 5 biggest mistakes you can make as an applicant: