At the job post · 6 min read
How do I apply for an internal job or promotion?
Internal applications need a tailored CV too. How to show results your company already values, talk to the hiring manager first, and handle your boss.
The short answer
Apply for an internal job like an external one: read the post, tailor your CV to its must-haves and write a short cover note. Then use your inside advantage: talk to the hiring manager before applying, tell your own manager early, and lead with results the company already knows and values. Don't assume they know your work; spell it out.
Key takeaways
- Tailor your CV even for an internal role; panels compare like with like.
- Talk to the hiring manager before you apply.
- Tell your manager yourself, before they hear it elsewhere.
- Use the company's own language and results it already cares about.
- If you don't get it, ask for feedback and a plan, not just a reason.
On this pageYour inside advantage
Your inside advantage
- You can talk to the hiring manager and the team before applying.
- You know the company's language, priorities and recent wins.
- You can point to results people have already seen.
- You can ask colleagues in the role what it's really like.
Before you apply
- Ask the hiring manager for 15 minutes: what does success look like in the first six months?
- Tell your own manager you're interested, and why.
- Read the post as if you were an outsider, and list its must-haves.
- For each must-have, find a result from your current role that proves it.
Tailor the CV
Lead with the results that match the new role, in the company's own terms: if leadership talks about 'retention', show what you did for retention. Include internal projects by name if people will recognise them. Don't skip the summary just because they know you; use it to say why this role, now.
Illustrative example: a customer support lead applies for a product operations role. Her CV leads with the ticket-tagging system she built, which the product team already uses to prioritise bugs, and the monthly report she sends them. The panel recognises both and sees the move as obvious.
After the decision
If you get it, plan the handover with your current manager. If you don't, ask for specific feedback, agree on one or two things to work on, and come back to the hiring manager in a few months with progress. That's how internal moves usually happen on the second try.
OffLadder CV, our free Chrome extension, rewrites your CV for the post you have open, in the post's own words and order. Every change is checked against the CV you gave it, so it never adds a skill, a number or a job you don't have. You download it as a PDF or Word file.
What happens to the gaps
Applying shows you what employers want that you can't show yet: a must-have your CV doesn't mention, or a question you couldn't answer well. Hand the job from OffLadder CV to Laddie, our AI coach, and it turns each one into three steps:
- Learn the skill: a short lesson on what the post asks for, starting from the basics.
- Try the work: a 15-minute task taken from the job itself, so you have a real example to talk about.
- Practise the interview: a five-question mock interview for that role, weighted to the parts you're least sure of.
The conversation stays in your OffLadder account. Once you've done the work, add it to your CV in your own words, and the next post you tailor for can point to it.
Questions people ask
- Do I need a CV for an internal job?
- Usually yes, and it should be tailored. Internal panels often see your application next to external ones, and the one with clear evidence against the post's requirements tends to win. Assume the panel knows less about your work than you think.
- Should I tell my manager I'm applying for another role?
- Yes, and before you apply if you can. Many companies require it, and they'll find out anyway. Frame it as growth: 'I'd like to build my career here, and this role is a step I'm excited about.' A good manager will support it, or at least respect hearing it from you.
- What if I don't get the internal job?
- Ask the hiring manager what would have made the difference, and agree on one or two things you can work on. Then show progress on them. Losing an internal application gracefully often sets you up well for the next one.
- Is it awkward to compete with a colleague?
- It can be. Stay focused on your own evidence, don't discuss the process in the team, and congratulate whoever gets it. Panels notice how candidates behave during and after the process.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- How to write a CV · Prospects (Jisc), UK graduate careers service
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.