Latest / The Internal Move Podcast with Fexingo: Lateral Roles, Internal Transfers, and Staying at Your Company / How an Internal Transfer Can Rebuild Your Professional Network
Transcript
- Lucas: When you move internally, especially to a completely different function, you lose your network. I mean, not literally — your old colleagues still know you — but the day-to-day web of people you rely on for information, shortcuts, and support? That resets to zero. Luna: And that can be jarring. You go from knowing who to ask for a quick data pull to not even knowing the names of the people in the next pod. Lucas: Exactly. So today I want to talk about how an internal transfer is actually a structured opportunity to rebuild your network more intentionally than you did when you first joined the company. Because when you came in as a new hire, you were probably networking out of necessity. But as an internal transfer, you have advantages — you know the culture, you know the org chart, you know who the key players are. Luna: You also have a reputation, for better or worse. But in a new function, you're starting from scratch on the substance side. Lucas: Right. And that's the tension. Let me use a concrete example. I spoke with a marketing manager at a large consumer goods company — let's call her Priya. She transferred from brand marketing into product management six months ago. She told me the first month was lonely. She'd walk into meetings where everyone already had shorthand with each other. They'd reference past projects she had no context on. And she didn't want to lean too hard on her old marketing network because she didn't want to seem like she wasn't committed to the new team. Luna: That's a real trap. You don't want to be the person always talking about 'back in marketing.' It undermines your new credibility. Lucas: Exactly. So Priya did something smart. She created what she called a '30-60-90 networking plan.' Not just a learning plan for the role, but a targeted plan for rebuilding her web of relationships. In the first 30 days, she scheduled one-on-ones with everyone on her immediate product team — not just the managers, but the designers, the engineers, the QA lead. She asked them two questions: 'What's the biggest challenge you're facing right now?' and 'What's something you wish you'd known when you joined this team?' Luna: That second question is great. It invites mentorship without you having to ask for it directly. Lucas: Exactly. By day 60, she'd expanded to adjacent teams — the data science team, the sales operations team, the folks in customer support who handled product feedback. She wasn't just building a network inside product; she was building a cross-functional map. And she made sure to bring something to every conversation — a piece of market research from her old role that might help them, or an introduction to someone in marketing who could unblock a project. Luna: So she was giving before she was asking. That's networking 101, but most people stop doing it when they transfer because they feel like they have nothing to offer. Lucas: Right. But Priya had a huge asset: institutional knowledge. She knew how the company's budgeting process worked, who the real decision-makers were in the C-suite, which vendors had a history of underdelivering. That kind of intelligence is gold to a new team. She didn't have to pretend she was a novice. She could say, 'I'm new to product, but I've been here six years. Let me connect you to the person in procurement who can speed up that contract.' Luna: And that builds trust fast. It says, 'I'm on your side, and I bring value beyond my job description.' Lucas: Yeah. By day 90, she had a completely different network than when she started. She still kept lunch dates with a few people from marketing, but her primary relationships were now in product, data, and sales. And she told me that having that new network made her feel like she'd actually changed jobs, not just desks. Luna: That's the goal, right? You want the transfer to feel like a genuine fresh start, not just a new title in the same building. Lucas: And this is where I think a lot of people miss the opportunity. They treat the transfer as a purely functional move — learn the new role, deliver on the new projects — and they neglect the relational side. But your network is actually the infrastructure that lets you do your job well. Without it, you're flying blind. Luna: So what's the one thing someone should do this week if they're about to transfer or just transferred? Lucas: I'd say: don't wait to be invited. Schedule the first five one-on-ones before your first day. Send a short email saying, 'I'm joining the team soon and would love to learn from you. Can we grab 20 minutes?' People are almost always flattered. And if you can, offer something in return — even if it's just a coffee. Luna: And don't forget to keep a few ties from your old role. People who stay siloed in their new function lose the cross-pollination that makes internal moves so powerful. Lucas: That's a great point. Priya told me she still meets monthly with her former marketing director. They trade insights about what the other side is working on. That informal bridge has helped both teams avoid misalignment more than once. Luna: It's like having an embassy in a foreign country. You need diplomats who know the local language. Lucas: Exactly. And that's really the theme of this episode: an internal transfer is not just a change of role — it's an opportunity to redesign your professional network from the ground up, with the benefit of experience. You're not starting from zero. You're starting from a better understanding of how the company actually works. Luna: And that's something external hires never get. They have to learn the culture and the people at the same time. You already know the culture. You just need to build the people. Lucas: Right. So if you're thinking about an internal move, don't just update your resume. Start mapping the relationships you'll need. And if you've already moved, start scheduling those one-on-ones tomorrow. Luna: And if this episode has helped you think about your own career moves, we'd love it if you considered supporting the show. It's listener support that keeps us ad-free and independent. Lucas: Yeah, we really appreciate that. If you're able, you can buy us a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It helps us keep doing these deep dives. Luna: And now back to the topic — one thing I want to add is that rebuilding your network isn't just about internal relationships. You should also think about external ones. Industry peers, alumni from your previous company, people in professional groups. Lucas: That's a good point. Priya actually attended a product management conference three months into her new role. She said it helped her feel like she belonged to a community beyond her company. And she brought back ideas that she shared with her team, which further cemented her credibility. Luna: So internal transfers can also be a chance to expand your external network. You have a new perspective to bring to those conversations. Lucas: Exactly. The bottom line: your network is your net worth, but only if you're intentional about rebuilding it after a move. Don't assume it will happen organically. Make a plan.