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July 27, 2003

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D.J. Burrough
Special for the Republic

Find an ally when you look for a job transfer

Finding your dream job might not be a matter of scanning the want ads or surfing the Internet, but of looking in the cubicles around you. Going after an opening within your company can be the easiest job search you'll ever do. By virtue of already working for the company, you have a leg up on any outside candidates and already know about the firm's culture. But transferring to another position or department can be fraught with peril. What if you don't get the job?

Talk to somebody in the department in which you want to move and find the specifics of the open position, said Linda Baugh, president of American Career Executives.

Why did the person who held the position leave? What kind of skills does the hiring manger value? What is the subculture like? "I would learn everything I could about the department," she said. "I'd check it out to see if you were a good fit." Based on what you learn, you might keep looking or decide to officially go for the position.

Try to find an ally in either your boss or someone in the new department who will trumpet your abilities to the hiring manager. Don't ask for that favor, Baugh said, but sell them on your enthusiasm for the position and how well your skills match up.

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