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Landing a promotion isn’t just about showing up and doing your job, it’s about making the case for why you’re the best person to take on more responsibility. More often than not, this means you’ll be conducting an internal interview. You might be thinking that internal interviews are on the casual or easy side, but the truth is they can actually be quite tricky. Here’s how to prepare for an internal job interview.
Treat It Like a Real Interview
Don’t let the fact that you already work there and your manager has seen your performance make you too comfortable. It’s important that you approach an internal interview with the same preparation and professionalism you’d bring to an external interview.
This includes conducting research into the new role and the person who will be interviewing you, along with putting together real examples of your contributions to your team. Of course, you’ll also need to dress the part, even if the interview is to be conducted via Zoom or another virtual meeting platform. The bottom line is, you want to show that you’re taking the opportunity seriously, and that you’re not safely assuming you’ve got it in the bag.
Understand What Your Employer is Looking For
One of the most common mistakes internal candidates make is speaking from the perspective of what they’re looking to do. For example, they might use language such as “I’m ready to move up,” or “I’ve been here for 5 years,” instead of speaking to what the team or department actually needs.
When preparing for the interview, study the job posting very carefully and make connections between what the new role entails and the related skills and experiences you have. Along with this, spend some time speaking with colleagues who you might be working with to help get some insight into any gaps or pain points the new role will be tasked with solving. This will help you align your responses to interview questions in a way that shows you’re ready to solve those problems.
Use Insider Knowledge
Being an internal candidate gives you a major edge—you already know the culture, the systems, and the challenges better than anyone else. The key here is figuring out how to show it during your interview. To do this effectively, reference internal processes, company goals, or team dynamics when answering interview questions.
Let’s say you’re preparing for an interview for a position in HR and the interviewer asks you how you would deal with your company’s particularly hectic Q3 onboarding season. Using your insider knowledge, you might say “I know Q3 is heavy for onboarding because we hire interns at that time, so I’d streamline our training materials and start prepping mid-Q2.” A tactical answer like this will distinguish you from external candidates right away.
Highlight Your Growth and Future Potential
If you’ve been at your company for a while, people may still view you in your “old” role, even if you’ve taken on way more behind the scenes. Your objective here is to connect the dots between what you’ve done and what you’re ready for. The point is, don’t assume people already know everything you’ve accomplished.
As always, strong action words with quantifiable results are most effective. Check out these examples:
- Led a cross-functional initiative to reduce onboard time by 30%.
- Trained five new team members while maintaining top performance metrics.
- Created a new system that cut reporting errors by half.
The above examples also show initiative and leadership qualities, which are crucial when you’re interviewing for a role in management.
Be Honest
The way you speak to the interviewer is also incredibly important. For instance, you don’t want to sound entitled, but you want to express ambition. Avoid phrases such as “I deserve this,” and lead with a positive, confident tone of voice. Here’s an example of something you might say on your interview:
- “I’ve really valued growing in my current role, but I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute on a larger scale. I’ve already taken on pieces of this work, and I’m ready to take the next step and keep moving forward.”
Prepare for Tough Questions
Internal interviews can be tricky—you might be asked to talk about coworkers, managers, or departments you’ve interacted with. It’s important to choose your words wisely and maintain that positive tone we mentioned earlier. Similar to any other interview, never speak about your employer, your role, or your coworkers in a negative way, as it could cost you more than the promotion you’re looking for.
Let’s say you’re asked about how your current role, responsibilities, and experiences might translate to the position you’re interviewing for. Here, you might say:
- “Previously, I’ve mentored junior staff, ran meetings, and taken ownership of key workflows for my team.”
If you’re interviewing for a leadership role, you’ll likely be working alongside people you used to report to, and the interview might ask you how you’ll handle that. Check out this example answer:
- “I worked well under [Name of Manager/Supervisor], and I’d bring that same level of collaboration while working alongside them. I’m focused on what’s best for the team.”
Follow Up
Even though it’s an internal interview, you should still send a quick thank-you email. In your message, reference specific things from the conversation, reiterate your enthusiasm, and above all else, keep it professional. Here is an example of a thank-you email to help get you started:
- “Thanks again for the conversation today. I’m even more excited about the potential to contribute in this role, especially considering the upcoming product rollouts and improvements we discussed.”
Keep in mind that when it comes to internal promotions, you don’t necessarily have to be the most qualified person. If you can communicate your value effectively, you’ll position yourself as a great candidate. In the event you’re not selected for the role, going through the interview process sends a message that you’re serious about growing, and you’ll be at the top of the list next time around.
Rob Porter is an editor at Vault.
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