Latest / The Internal Move Podcast with Fexingo: Lateral Roles, Internal Transfers, and Staying at Your Company / How an Internal Transfer Can Double Your Networking Reach
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, we've talked a lot about how an internal transfer can restart your confidence or fast-track your promotion. But there's one angle we haven't really drilled into, and honestly, it might be the most practical one of all. Luna: What's that? Lucas: Your network. When you move to a new team inside the same company, you don't just change your job title — you inherit an entirely new web of colleagues, stakeholders, and second-degree connections. And the data suggests that's a huge deal. Luna: I've seen that firsthand. When I moved from marketing to the insights group, suddenly I had data scientists and engineers in my inbox for things that never would have crossed my desk before. Lucas: Exactly. And there's a 2025 LinkedIn study that quantified this. They looked at people who made internal moves and tracked their connection growth over six months. The internal movers saw about a 40 percent boost in cross-functional connections compared to their peers who stayed put. Luna: 40 percent — that's not nothing. But why? Is it just because you're meeting new people in your new team? Lucas: Partially, but the real mechanics are more interesting. When you transfer, you suddenly have a legitimate reason to reach out to anyone in the company — you're the new person, you need to learn the ropes. That's an excuse that evaporates once you've been in a role for a year. Luna: Right, the 'I'm new here' card. It's a golden ticket for setting up coffee chats. Lucas: Exactly. And it works on two levels. First, you have your direct new team and the people you work with daily. But second, and this is the part people miss, you also inherit the networks of your new manager and your new teammates. They introduce you to their contacts, and those introductions are warm — not cold. Luna: So it's not just about the number of people you meet directly, it's the second-degree connections that come with the trust of a colleague's recommendation. Lucas: That's the multiplier. A cold email to a VP might get ignored, but if your new manager says 'hey, Lucas is joining the team, can you give him fifteen minutes?' — that's a completely different conversation. Luna: And you don't have to be a networking ninja to do it. You just have to show up and be genuinely curious. Lucas: Right. But here's the thing — most people don't actually exploit this window. They get consumed by the logistics of the move, the new responsibilities, the learning curve. And six months later, the 'I'm new' excuse is gone, and they've missed the chance to wire themselves into the broader org. Luna: So what's the move? How do you make sure you don't waste that window? Lucas: Well, the first thing is to treat your first 30 days as a networking job, not just a learning job. Block time on your calendar for introductory meetings — not just with your team, but with adjacent functions, your stakeholders, maybe even the people who used to have your role. Luna: Is there a specific number you should aim for? Lucas: From what I've seen, thirty to fifty introductory conversations in the first month is a solid target. That sounds like a lot, but if you schedule three or four a day, it's manageable. And every one of those conversations is a chance to add a new connection to your list. Luna: That leads to the second-degree effect — each of those people has their own network, and you start showing up in their introductions. Lucas: Exactly. But there's also a strategic piece that most people overlook. It's what I call the 'landing page' approach to your new role. When you transfer, people don't know what you do now. They know your old job. So you have to actively tell them what your new role is, what you're responsible for, and what kind of problems you can help with. Luna: Like a personal homepage for your new job. Lucas: Yeah. And you can do that in a few ways. Send a short email to your broader network — not to your whole company, but to the people you've worked with in the past couple of years — saying 'hey, I've moved to X team, here's what I'm working on, happy to help if you need anything in this area.' That one email can generate a surprising number of connections. Luna: Because people need to know what you do before they can think of you when a relevant opportunity comes up. Lucas: Exactly. And the same logic applies to your LinkedIn profile. Update it within the first week. Change your headline, your about section, your experience — don't leave it as 'still in marketing' when you've moved to operations. The algorithm and your connections need the update to trigger the 'congrats on the new role' wave, which is itself a networking event. Luna: Oh, that's a good point. The people who comment on your new role announcement, they're not just being polite — they're opening a door. Lucas: Exactly. And you should respond to every single one of those comments. Even a simple 'thanks, let's catch up soon' can lead to a real conversation if you follow through. Luna: But what about the network you left behind? Some people worry that moving to a new team means you're cutting ties with your old colleagues. Lucas: That's a misconception. Your old team is not a loss — it's an asset. They know you, they trust you, and they now have an insider in another part of the company. That's valuable to them, and it's valuable to you. Luna: So how do you keep that network alive without it feeling forced? Lucas: Simple — schedule a recurring coffee or lunch with your three or four closest colleagues from your old team. Not the whole team, just the ones you'd naturally stay in touch with. And then, when you have a win in your new role, share it with them. Let them know what you're working on. They'll do the same for you. Luna: It's like having a foot in two camps — you get the intelligence from both sides. Lucas: And that's a real competitive advantage. You become a bridge between two departments, and that kind of cross-functional connector is exactly the person who gets tapped for high-visibility projects. Luna: You know, this conversation is making me think about the listeners who are on the fence about whether to take an internal transfer. If they're worried about losing their network, this flips the script. Lucas: It does. And honestly, it's one of those things where the data supports the hunch. The LinkedIn study also found that internal movers were 60 percent more likely to receive a promotion or a new opportunity within a year after their move — and they attribute a lot of that to the expanded network. Luna: That's a big stat. It's not just about the role itself, it's about the platform it gives you. Lucas: Right. And if you're thinking about making a move, or you're in the middle of one, this is the time to be intentional. Don't just let the network happen — build it. Luna: Before we go deeper on how to sustain that network after the honeymoon period, I want to mention something for the listeners who've been with us for a while. You know how we keep this show ad-free and independent? That's purely because of the people who support us on the side. Lucas: Yeah, it really is. A couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these going. If you've gotten something out of the show, you can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small gesture, but it makes a real difference in keeping everything running. Luna: And we're grateful for every single one of you who's chipped in. It's not a big ask, but it adds up. Lucas: Okay, back to the network. So we've talked about the first 30 days, the landing page, and keeping your old team warm. But what about the third month, the sixth month? How do you sustain the momentum? Luna: I feel like that's where a lot of people drop the ball. They do the initial outreach, and then they get busy and the network goes cold. Lucas: Exactly. So the key is to set up a rhythm. For example, commit to one 'network maintenance' task per week. It could be a coffee chat with someone you met in your first month, or sending a relevant article to a connection, or just a quick check-in message. It doesn't have to be elaborate. Luna: And the goal is to stay top of mind without being annoying. Lucas: Right. And there's a specific technique that works well — the 'value-first' check-in. Instead of saying 'how are you?' out of nowhere, you send them something they'd find useful. It could be an internal report, a new policy, a piece of market research. That way, you're adding value, and the relationship stays alive. Luna: That's a lot more natural than a random 'hey, let's catch up' text. Lucas: Absolutely. And as you move into your second quarter in the role, you can start to be more strategic. Look at your network map — who have you met, who haven't you met? Maybe you need to connect with someone in finance because your new project has budget implications. Or someone in legal if you're dealing with contracts. Luna: So it's not just about accumulating contacts — it's about having the right ones. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the final piece: your network should be intentional, not accidental. An internal transfer gives you a unique window to rebuild it from scratch. Use it wisely. Luna: So for anyone listening who's considering an internal transfer, the message is clear: don't just think about the job change. Think about the network change. Lucas: And that's the question I'd leave you with — are you going to treat your next move as just a new role, or as a new networking platform? Because the people who do the latter are the ones who end up with the most opportunities.