Latest / The Internal Move Podcast with Fexingo: Lateral Roles, Internal Transfers, and Staying at Your Company / How an Internal Transfer Can Help You Redefine Your Role
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this idea that if you want to change what you do professionally, you have to leave your company. Start fresh somewhere else, get a new title, build a new identity from scratch. And sometimes that's the right call. But there's another path that I think gets overlooked. Luna: The internal transfer as a rebranding tool. Not just moving departments, but actually redefining your role while staying put. Lucas: Exactly. I've been looking at a case study from a friend of a friend. Let's call her Priya. She was a brand manager at a large consumer packaged goods company — think Unilever or P&G, one of those. Had been doing brand work for about six years, was good at it, but she started getting really interested in the data side. Luna: The analytics, the metrics behind the campaigns. Lucas: Right. She wanted to move into the data analytics team. But here's the thing — she had no formal background in data science. Her resume said 'brand manager.' When she looked at job postings for data roles, they all asked for Python, SQL, statistics — stuff she didn't have. Luna: So an external move would have been really tough. She'd be competing against people with the exact credentials. Lucas: Exactly. But internally, she had something those external candidates didn't: context. She knew the business, the product lines, the customer base. She knew which metrics actually mattered to the P&L. So she started a conversation with the head of analytics, not asking for a job, but asking about a project. Luna: A project — that's key. She created a bridge. Lucas: She proposed a three-month rotation where she'd work half-time on a specific analytics initiative: building a dashboard that linked brand spend to sales lift. Something that was useful for both teams. That project let her demonstrate skills she couldn't put on a resume yet. And it gave the analytics team a low-risk way to test her out. Luna: And then what? Did she convert to a full-time role after the rotation? Lucas: She did. But it took a little longer than three months. The rotation turned into six months because the dashboard work expanded. And during that time, she was also negotiating with her current brand manager about the transition — because her old role needed to be backfilled. Luna: That's the part people forget. When you redefine your role internally, you're not just convincing the new team. You're also managing the exit from your old one. Lucas: Exactly. Priya's original manager was supportive, but only after she helped find a replacement and trained them for two weeks. That goodwill was critical. If she had just left abruptly, the bridge would have burned. Luna: And the analytics team saw her as someone who could handle that kind of transition gracefully — that made her look even better. Lucas: Now, the interesting part is the title change. When she finally moved into the analytics team full-time, her title became 'Analytics Manager, Brand Strategy' — a hybrid. It wasn't a pure data scientist title. But that actually worked in her favor because it highlighted her unique combination of skills. Luna: So she essentially created a new role that didn't exist before. That's the redefinition piece. Lucas: Exactly. And this is where an internal transfer can be more powerful than an external job change. Externally, you're fitting into someone else's job description. Internally, you can sometimes shape the role around you — because you already have relationships, you already know what the company needs, and you can make a case for why a hybrid role adds value. Luna: But that requires a lot of upfront work. You can't just walk into the new manager's office and say 'I want to do something different.' You need a proposal. Lucas: Absolutely. Priya spent about a month preparing her pitch. She mapped out the skills she had that were transferable — things like stakeholder management, understanding of the product lifecycle, ability to translate business questions into data questions. And she identified the gaps — she didn't know SQL, so she took a two-week online course before the conversation. Luna: That's concrete. She showed initiative before asking for anything. Lucas: And that's the model. You don't ask for permission to learn; you learn first, then you present the opportunity. One stat I came across: according to LinkedIn's internal data, employees who make an internal move are about 20 percent more likely to get promoted within two years compared to those who stay in the same role. But that number jumps to 35 percent if the internal move is into a completely different function. Luna: Because you're seen as adaptable, versatile. You've proven you can learn a new area. Lucas: Right. And that's the redefinition. You're not just changing your title; you're changing the narrative about who you are at the company. Priya's internal brand shifted from 'the brand person' to 'the person who bridges brand and analytics.' That's a much more valuable identity long-term. Luna: Did she face any pushback? I imagine some people thought she was abandoning her expertise. Lucas: Yeah, there was some. A couple of colleagues in brand said she was 'wasting' her experience. But she framed it differently: she said she was deepening it. She could now bring data rigor to brand decisions. And she had a mentor in the analytics VP who helped her articulate that. Luna: A mentor on the receiving team is huge. Someone who can vouch for you when you're not in the room. Lucas: Exactly. That's one of the tactical takeaways: find a sponsor in the new department before you even apply. Someone who will say 'I want this person on my team' before HR posts a requisition. Luna: And if you can't find a sponsor, maybe the timing isn't right. Lucas: Right. Priya's timing worked because the analytics team was expanding and they were having trouble hiring externally. So there was a need. But also, her current team was in a stable period — no major product launches, so her departure wouldn't cause a crisis. Luna: That's another lesson: pick your moment. Don't try to redefine your role during a crunch time. Lucas: And don't do it in isolation. Priya had conversations with about six people before she made the move: her manager, the analytics head, two peers in analytics, a mentor from a previous rotation, and an HR business partner. Each of those conversations informed her approach. Luna: It's almost like a political campaign. You're building a coalition. Lucas: It is. And it's work. But the payoff is you get to redefine your role without starting over. You keep your tenure, your network, your retirement account, your vacation accrual. And you don't have to prove yourself from scratch. Luna: That's been the theme of this whole series, really. Internal moves are underrated. And redefinition is maybe the most ambitious form. Lucas: You know, if you're listening and you've gotten something useful out of these episodes — a framework, a tactic, a nudge to start a conversation — that's exactly why we do this show. We keep it ad-free and focused on real stories because we believe this advice should be accessible. And if this podcast has helped you think through a career move or decision, the best way to support that is to help keep it going. You can do that at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, just an option for anyone who finds value in what we do. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to make sure episodes like this keep coming. We appreciate every bit of support. Lucas: Alright, back to Priya. After she made the move, she said the hardest part wasn't the learning curve — it was letting go of the old identity. For months, people still introduced her as 'our former brand manager who's now in analytics.' She had to actively correct that narrative. Luna: How did she handle that? Lucas: She started leading with her new role in every meeting. She'd say 'I'm on the analytics team focused on brand measurement.' She stopped mentioning her brand background unless it was relevant. And she volunteered for high-visibility projects that showcased her new skills — like presenting the dashboard results to the CMO. Luna: So she actively performed the new role until people saw her that way. Lucas: Exactly. And within about six months, the old identity faded. The interesting thing is, she told me that the internal transfer actually gave her more credibility than if she had gotten an external data job — because internally, people knew her track record. They knew she could deliver. The external candidate would have to prove that from zero. Luna: So the internal move is not a consolation prize. It can actually be the smarter play. Lucas: Especially if you want to redefine yourself. Because you're not just learning a new function — you're also leveraging the trust and relationships you've already built. That combination is hard to replicate externally. Luna: What would you say to someone listening who's in Priya's shoes right now? Mid-career, feeling stuck in a role that doesn't fit anymore, but not sure how to pivot inside? Lucas: I'd say start with a self-audit. Write down the skills you have that are transferable. Don't just list job titles — think about capabilities: project management, stakeholder influence, data literacy, anything that could apply to a different function. Then look at the departments in your company that are growing or have unmet needs. That's your target. Luna: And then have a conversation, not an application. Lucas: Exactly. Say 'I'm curious about what your team does. Could I shadow someone for a day?' Or 'I've been learning SQL — is there a small project I could help with?' That's how you open the door. Luna: And if the door doesn't open? Lucas: Then maybe the company isn't ready for you to redefine yourself. And that's okay — it might be a sign that an external move is the right path. But you'll have learned something valuable: what you want and what you're willing to do to get it. Luna: That's a good note to end on. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. And for everyone listening, good luck with your own internal moves.