Applying for internal positions: navigating the unfamiliar in a familiar setting

Working in early education and care is both incredibly rewarding and challenging, pushing us to become our best selves driven by a passion to give children the best start in a nurturing environment outside of their home comforts. As professionals in this field, we dedicate ourselves to cultivating fruitful environments and caring relationships in which children can grow, learn and thrive. The natural progression in our career trajectory could mean different things, from taking on greater responsibilities across the setting to moving away from our current role to contribute to the field in new and impactful ways.

Going for an internal position – a new position within your current workplace - is an excellent way to achieve this growth while building on the relationships and knowledge you've already established. For some, the process can be daunting as it involves navigating a thin line between a familiar working lifestyle and the unfamiliar territory of new responsibilities. How we navigate the application and interview process can be different too, so let’s look at how to maximise impact for successful application processes in internal recruitment systems.

What is an internal recruitment?

The journey of any application and recruitment process can be a daunting one – a spotlight moment to showcase your skills and proficiency for the role. But promoting internally has a range of benefits for the employer and the candidate as a unique opportunity to progress in your responsibilities and role within a setting you know and trust.

An internal position, if it arises, is a tempting offer for a variety of reasons.

There is a developed working ethic within the unique setting. You know the team structure and how you navigate this. Understanding the ethos of the workplace. Every setting comes with different values, approaches and styles. Being familiar with this wider attitude is helpful for the progression into a role that might involve mentoring and influencing more junior members of the team who are new to the setting. It’s also useful to consider how your time will be valued. Time is often spent on initial inductions into standard policies and procedures that you already know and have practised. This time can be used to dedicate to professional development that will directly aid your new working role

But, applying for an internal role can be a tricky ground to cover, especially if colleagues are also going for the same position. Let’s take a look at some of the ways to approach an internal position compared to a traditional application for an external position in a new place.

Applying for a new internal position

Pretend you are new and unknown

Whilst the process for applying might feel vastly different from external applications, it is important to compartmentalise your current role. It can be awkward but put aside the fact they know you! Preparing for an internal application will involve all the same steps as an external one – your employer will be looking for you to meet the same criteria as for someone outside of the organisation. Here a few tips on how to handle it.

Talk to your interviewers as interviewers, not colleagues. It can be easy to slip into an informal attitude when talking to those you know and are familiar with, but this is not the impression you need to give in this situation.
Remain professional when giving examples, demonstrating a knowledge of confidentiality, despite the audience. Refer to examples by anonymising specific children or staff, as you would do for any other interview situation.
Tell them everything, even and especially the things they already know! On your application, ensure to highlight all the skills and responsibilities that you currently hold, as well as previous ventures. Whilst employers might already know what you do and how you do it, your recognition of these skills highlights to them that you value the work you do and are able to reflect on practice to improve, which is immensely valuable when it comes to career progression.
Make sure to ask questions as you would as an external candidate. They might differ slightly from an external candidate, but questions are a great way to show your interest and thoughtfulness for the role.

Put personal feelings aside

It can be an awkward moment realising that you’re competing with colleagues for the same position, especially if it is a limited opportunity. Try to put personal feelings aside, as difficult as it can sometimes seem. Just as your approach to the application process itself should be removed of personability and familiarity with the employer, your professional conduct with other candidates should also remain removed from social aspects of your current role. It’s also important to remember that the process should be treated with confidentiality so managers should not be discussing the applications in a space where others can hear.

Reflect on your motivations

Before embarking on an internal recruitment position, it's valuable to reflect on your reasons for wanting to do so. Sometimes, staying in a familiar environment can be tempting because it is the known, but it is important to fully acknowledge why you are pursuing the role to ensure you are best fit for it.

Are you motivated by the desire to make a broader impact in a new role? Do you want to mentor and lead your colleagues, or perhaps influence curriculum development and educational practices? Is the role one in which you will learn about new aspects of early education and care, such as of safeguarding practice or additional support? Understanding your motivation will help clarify your goals and ensure that the role you're pursuing aligns with your professional aspirations.

Acting before you apply

Even before you apply for a new role, start demonstrating the qualities that are valued in the position that you’re aiming for. This could mean taking the lead on a new project, mentoring newer staff or proposing improvements to existing processes. Contributing to staff meetings, showing a determined approach to improvement through CPD opportunities or taking initiative when it comes to fresh ideas can all speak volumes about your wider attitude and approach to the setting. Showing that you’re already thinking and acting with a broader perspective can make a compelling case for your readiness to step up and stand out.

Seek feedback regardless of the outcome

Whether you are successful or not, receiving feedback of the application process can be gold dust when thinking about your next steps for improvement! Asking for feedback is a valid request to learn from your performance and understand what can be done to further your practice, whether to try again for a new role later down the line or to progress in your new adventure.

Internal positions offer a valuable opportunity for progression in a setting where you feel at home and dedicated to supporting the progression of the environment, building a valuable sense of community within your career. However, remain open to external opportunities for spreading your wings and flying to a new nest! And, most importantly, don’t lose faith if you’re not successful this time round, opportunities arise in all sorts of places, so keep looking out!

Reflection

It can be tricky to highlight skills you use in the everyday to people you work with all the time! It’s important to balance a sense of modesty with the opportunity to showcase the value you bring to the team. They might already know it, but you still need to show it!

Have a look at the transferrable skills highlighted below and think of three ways you demonstrate each. Have a go at writing these examples in a way that highlight the actions you take and ask someone unrelated to your setting to review them. It’s crucial that these examples are understood by those away from the environment to ensure it is clear and not reliant on the prior information your employers might already have.