Latest / The Internal Move Podcast with Fexingo: Lateral Roles, Internal Transfers, and Staying at Your Company / How an Internal Transfer Can Rebrand Your Personal Brand
Transcript
- Lucas: So Priya had been a backend software engineer at a large enterprise software firm for six years. She was technically sharp, but her internal reputation was basically 'the person who fixes the payment gateway.' Luna: Right, the go-to for a specific piece of legacy code. That can be a career trap. Lucas: Exactly. And she wanted to move toward product strategy, but she knew that if she just applied for a product role, the hiring manager would see 'backend engineer' and think she had no customer sense. So instead, she engineered an internal transfer to a solutions architect role — still technical, but customer-facing, working directly with enterprise clients. Luna: And that changed the story. It gave her a reason to talk about business problems, not just API latency. Lucas: That's the core of what we're digging into today: an internal transfer can be a deliberate rebrand. Not just a change of desk, but a change in how your company reads your identity. And it often works better than trying to rebrand in place, because the new role itself does a lot of the narrative work for you. Luna: So what's the mechanism? How does a transfer actually change perception? Lucas: Well, think about how people filter information. Your title, your team, your current projects — those are the shorthand that colleagues and leaders use to categorize you. When you transfer, you get a fresh label. But it's not just the label; it's the fact that you're now in different meetings, solving different problems, and interacting with a different set of stakeholders. Luna: So it's like a reset button on your work narrative. Lucas: Exactly. Priya's story is a good illustration. Within three months of moving into the solutions architect role, she was in front of clients, translating technical requirements into business value. The leadership team started mentioning her in strategy discussions, not just in incident postmortems. Her brand shifted from 'the payment gateway person' to 'someone who understands what clients actually need.' Luna: And she didn't have to do a bunch of self-promotion to make that happen. The role itself did the talking. Lucas: That's the key insight. A lot of people try to rebrand by posting on LinkedIn or talking louder in meetings. But if your day-to-day work doesn't change, those efforts feel hollow. The transfer gives you tangible proof — new projects, new interactions, new vocabulary — that backs up the new story you want to tell. Luna: Before we go deeper, I want to say something. We keep this podcast ad-free, which is a choice we've made deliberately. If you find these episodes useful and want to support that choice, you can buy us a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That link is also in the show notes. No pressure, just an option. Lucas: Yeah, we really appreciate that. It's what keeps us independent and focused on the topic at hand. Luna: Okay, so back to rebranding. What about the risks? Can a transfer backfire and actually cement a bad reputation? Lucas: It can. If you jump around too frequently, or if you leave a project in a lurch, people might tag you as someone who doesn't commit. But there's a more subtle risk: if you transfer to a role that's seen as a demotion or a step sideways, that can also shape perception negatively. Luna: So you need to be strategic about the direction of the move. Lucas: Absolutely. The best internal rebrands are aligned with the company's strategic priorities. If the company is pushing into AI, moving into an ai related role signals that you're on board with the future. If you move into a dying business unit, that might not help your brand, even if the role is interesting. Luna: That makes sense. So what's the first step someone should take if they're thinking about using a transfer to rebrand? Lucas: Start with the story you want to tell. Write down the one or two things you want people to associate with you after the move. Then work backward: what role would naturally prove those qualities? Priya wanted to be seen as business-savvy and customer-focused, so she needed a role that put her in front of clients. The solutions architect position was a natural fit. Luna: And then you have to actually perform in that role. The transfer opens the door, but you still have to deliver. Lucas: Right. The rebrand isn't automatic. You have to embody the new narrative. That means speaking the language of that new function, volunteering for visible projects, and building relationships with the people who matter in that new area. But the transfer gives you the platform to do it. Luna: You mentioned Priya's story earlier. Did it ultimately lead to the product role she wanted? Lucas: It did, actually. After about a year in the solutions architect role, she applied for a product manager position and got it. The hiring manager told her later that the transfer was the reason she made the shortlist. It showed she could navigate client conversations and translate between technical and business teams. Luna: So the transfer was the bridge, not the destination. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a good way to think about it. An internal transfer is rarely the end goal; it's a strategic pivot that puts you on a better path. It gives you a new starting point, a new set of experiences, and a new story to tell — both internally and externally. Luna: What about the people you leave behind? How do you manage that transition so you don't burn bridges? Lucas: That's crucial. You want to leave on good terms because your old team will be part of your network. Priya made a point of documenting everything, mentoring a junior engineer to take over her responsibilities, and giving her manager a solid two-month ramp. That left a lasting positive impression. Luna: So instead of 'the person who abandoned the payment gateway,' she became 'the person who set us up for success.' Lucas: Exactly. That's the other side of the rebrand — you want to sew the story of your old role in a way that enhances your new one. If you leave a mess, that's what people will remember, not your new shiny title. Luna: I think a lot of listeners might be in a situation where they're not sure what their current brand is. How can they get a read on that before making a move? Lucas: Good question. One practical exercise is to ask a few trusted colleagues what three words come to mind when they think of you at work. That can be revealing. Or look at what you're invited to — are you looped into strategy conversations, or only when there's a technical emergency? That tells you a lot. Luna: So you diagnose before you prescribe. Lucas: Right. And once you have that diagnosis, you can design the transfer to close the gap. If you're seen as 'the quiet engineer,' a transfer to a role that requires presentations and client meetings can shift that. If you're seen as 'the numbers person,' a move into a creative role might be jarring, but it can also be a powerful narrative shift if you do it well. Luna: Is there a scenario where an internal transfer is not the right rebranding tool? Like, what if you're so pigeonholed that no role change will fix it? Lucas: That's a real risk. If your company has a very rigid culture or if your reputation is tied to a specific persona that's hard to shake, sometimes an external move is the only way. But I'd argue that's rare. Most companies have more internal mobility than people realize, especially in larger organizations. Luna: So the message is: don't write off the internal transfer as just a lateral move. It can be a powerful rebranding lever. Lucas: Exactly. The key is to be intentional. Think about the story you want to tell, pick a role that can credibly support it, perform well, and manage the transition gracefully. Priya's story shows it works. You just have to approach it as a strategic career move, not just a change of scenery. Luna: And if you're listening and thinking about your own rebrand, what's one concrete thing you could do this week? Lucas: Write down the two or three words you want your colleagues to say about you a year from now. Then schedule a coffee chat with someone in a role that aligns with that vision. Ask them what a typical day looks like and what skills they think are critical. That's the first step toward making the move possible. Luna: That's a practical first step. I'm going to do that myself. Lucas: It's a good exercise. And remember, the internal transfer is a tool — you have to wield it with intention. Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you next time.