Latest / The Internal Move Podcast with Fexingo: Lateral Roles, Internal Transfers, and Staying at Your Company / How an Internal Transfer Can Help You Build a Mentor Outside Your Chain of Command
Transcript
- Lucas: You've been in your new role for about six weeks now. The onboarding fog has lifted. You know where the coffee machine is, you've met most of your new teammates, you've even shipped something small. But there's this one thing lingering — you really wish you had someone senior in this part of the org who could just tell you how things actually work here. Luna: Right, and your new boss is great, but they're also... your boss. You can't always be completely candid with them. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the crux of today's episode. We're talking about how an internal transfer creates a natural opening to build a mentor who is entirely outside your chain of command — someone who can give you unvarnished advice, help you navigate hidden landmines, and eventually become a sponsor, all without the weirdness of reporting to them. Luna: Before we dive deep — quick honest thing. A handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making this many episodes. If the show has helped you think through a career move, it's a nice way to keep it ad-free. Lucas: Yeah, it's a small group that makes it possible for us to keep going deep on these topics. Appreciate everyone who's part of that. So — back to the mentorship angle. Why is an internal transfer such a uniquely good moment to find a mentor? Luna: I think it's because you have a built-in excuse to reach out. You're new to the team, you're supposed to be learning the ropes. It's completely normal to ask for a coffee chat. Lucas: Exactly. When you join a company externally, you don't know who the key players are. When you transfer internally, you've already got some organizational awareness. You know which leaders have a reputation for developing talent, which ones are connected, which ones have been around long enough to understand the unwritten rules. Luna: So you can be intentional. You're not just randomly asking for mentorship — you're targeting people who can actually move the needle for you. Lucas: Let me give you a concrete example. I spoke with a technology manager at Fidelity — we'll call her Priya. She moved from a compliance role into a product management role about eighteen months ago. When she transferred, she identified a senior director in product who had a reputation for being brutally honest. She asked for a thirty-minute meeting to 'get his perspective on the product roadmap.' Luna: Classic low-friction ask. It's not 'will you be my mentor?' It's 'can I pick your brain?' Lucas: Right. And during that meeting, she asked two specific questions: 'What's one thing you wish you'd known when you took over this product area?' and 'Who else should I be talking to?' The senior director answered both, and then he said, 'Come back in a month and tell me what you've learned.' That became an informal monthly check-in that eventually turned into a real mentorship. Luna: That's smart. She let him set the cadence. It wasn't her pushing for a commitment — he offered it. Lucas: Exactly. And the key detail here is that this senior director was three levels above her and in a completely different reporting line. Her boss's boss had no relationship with him. So when Priya needed advice about navigating internal politics, or when she wanted feedback on a presentation she was nervous about, she could go to him without worrying that her manager would find out and misinterpret it. Luna: That's the advantage of a mentor outside your chain of command — they can be a safe sounding board. Your boss has to evaluate you. A mentor doesn't. Lucas: And there's another benefit: sponsorship. A mentor outside your chain of command can advocate for you in rooms where your boss isn't present. When Priya was up for a promotion to senior product manager, her mentor spoke up in a cross-functional leadership meeting and said, 'I've worked with Priya on the cloud migration project, and she's ready.' Her boss wasn't in that meeting. Luna: That's the difference between a mentor and a sponsor. A mentor gives advice. A sponsor uses their political capital to open doors for you. Lucas: Right. And an internal transfer gives you a chance to build both, because you're not starting from zero. You already have a track record at the company. People know your work ethic, even if they don't know you personally. That makes it easier for a senior leader to take a chance on mentoring you. Luna: So how do you actually go about identifying the right person? Not every senior leader is a good mentor. Lucas: I think there are three criteria. First, they should be in a function or domain you want to grow into. Second, they should have a reputation for developing people — not just for delivering results. Third, they should be at least two levels above you, so they have organizational perspective that you don't. Luna: And ideally not in your direct line of command. You want someone who doesn't have a formal role in your performance reviews. Lucas: Exactly. Now, the tricky part is making the ask without seeming transactional. You don't want to walk up to a senior VP and say, 'Be my mentor.' That's a big ask with no context. Luna: So what's the right approach? Lucas: Start with a low-stakes informational meeting. Frame it around a specific topic that relates to their expertise. For example, 'I'm new to the product team and I'm trying to understand how we prioritize features. Would you be open to a fifteen-minute chat about your approach?' That's easy to say yes to. Luna: And then, if the meeting goes well, you can ask for a follow-up. 'This was really helpful. Would it be okay if I reached out again in a few weeks?' Lucas: Exactly. Let them decide the frequency. Some mentors prefer monthly, some prefer quarterly. The key is to always come prepared with a specific question or a specific piece of work you want feedback on. Don't waste their time with vague 'how's it going' updates. Luna: Priya's mentor told her that the worst mentees are the ones who show up without an agenda. She said she always sends a one-paragraph email the day before with three bullet points of what she wants to discuss. Lucas: That's a great habit. And it's respectful of their time. Now, there's also a subtle risk here: your current boss might feel threatened if they find out you're building a close relationship with a senior leader outside the team. Luna: How do you manage that? Lucas: Transparency, but not over-sharing. You can say to your boss, 'I've been meeting with so-and-so in product strategy to learn more about how our roadmap aligns with company goals. It's been really helpful for my growth.' That frames it as professional development, not as a secret alliance. Luna: And if your boss is insecure, they might still be uncomfortable. But honestly, that's a signal about the culture you're in. Lucas: Right. A good boss should support you building a broad network. If they don't, that's useful information. But let's stay positive. The point is that an internal transfer is a golden window — you have a natural reason to meet new people, and you have a clean slate to build relationships that can shape your entire career trajectory. Luna: So if someone is considering an internal transfer, they should already be thinking about who they want as a mentor on the other side, even before they move. Lucas: Absolutely. I'd say, start mapping the leadership landscape in your target department about a month before you even apply. Attend their team meetings if you can. Read their internal newsletters. Identify two or three people who seem like they'd be good mentors. Luna: And then, once you're in the role, move quickly. The first ninety days are when people expect you to be reaching out and asking questions. Lucas: Exactly. After six months, the window starts to close. People assume you've figured things out. So use that early period to schedule those informational meetings. Luna: I want to circle back to something you mentioned earlier — the sponsor aspect. How do you turn a mentor into a sponsor? Lucas: You earn it by delivering. A sponsor won't stick their neck out for you unless you've proven you can execute. So the best way to turn a mentor into a sponsor is to ask for feedback on a project, implement it, and then come back and show the results. That builds trust. Luna: And when the time comes, you can ask directly. 'Would you be comfortable advocating for me when the promotion committee meets?' Lucas: That's a direct ask, but it's appropriate once you've built the relationship. And if they say yes, great. If they hesitate, you know where you stand. Either way, you've gotten clarity. Luna: One last thing — what about the mentor's perspective? Why would a busy senior leader want to mentor someone from another department? Lucas: Good question. For one, it gives them visibility into a part of the organization they might not interact with regularly. Priya's mentor told her that mentoring someone from compliance helped him understand regulatory constraints better. So it's a two-way street. Luna: Plus, it's a way for them to build their own network of allies across the company. Sponsorship isn't just altruistic — it's strategic. Lucas: Exactly. So if you're thinking about an internal transfer, don't just focus on the role, the title, the compensation. Think about the mentorship ecosystem you'll be stepping into. A good mentor outside your chain of command can be more valuable than a raise. Luna: And if you're already in a new role and haven't done this yet, it's not too late. But the clock is ticking. Lucas: It really is. So pick one person this week. Send that low-stakes email. See where it goes. That's all for today — thanks for listening. Luna: Yeah, thanks everyone. We'll be back next week with another angle on internal moves.