Latest / The Internal Move Podcast with Fexingo: Lateral Roles, Internal Transfers, and Staying at Your Company / How an Internal Transfer Can Help You Build Future References
Transcript
- Lucas: You know, we've spent 49 episodes talking about how to land an internal transfer, how to negotiate it, how to use it to change your career trajectory. But there's a hidden aftereffect that almost nobody plans for, and it can be one of the biggest career assets you walk away with. Luna: I think I know where you're going — the references. But not just any references, right? Lucas: Exactly. When you do an internal transfer, you don't just change roles. You accumulate a set of stakeholders who can speak to your work in a way that outside references almost never can. And those references can be gold when you eventually do decide to leave the company. Luna: Why would an internal reference carry more weight than, say, a former manager at a different company? Lucas: Because the person giving the reference is inside the same organization. If you're applying to a new company and your reference is someone at your current employer, they can speak to your performance in the actual context that the hiring manager is most curious about: how you operate within a specific culture, how you navigate internal politics, how you deliver results when you're not the new shiny object. That's way richer than a generic 'she was a great analyst' from three jobs ago. Luna: So the internal transfer itself creates a kind of reference opportunity that's more credible because it's recent and contextual. But you have to be strategic about who you ask and when. Lucas: Right. And that's where most people miss it. Let me give you a concrete example. A friend of mine — let's call her Sarah — was a marketing manager at a Fortune 500 consumer goods company. She did an internal transfer from brand marketing into a product marketing role. Two years later, when she started looking externally, she didn't just list the manager from her new role. She also listed the manager from her old role, plus the head of product who she'd worked with on a cross-functional launch. Luna: Three references, all from the same company, covering different phases of her career there. That's smart. Lucas: And it worked because each reference saw her from a different angle. The old manager could speak to her strategic thinking and her ability to execute a brand plan. The new manager could speak to her product instincts and her technical proficiency. The head of product could speak to her stakeholder management and her ability to influence without authority. When a hiring manager gets three references from the same company that all say slightly different but complementary things, it paints a really vivid picture. Luna: But there's a timing risk here. If you ask for a reference while you're still at the company, especially from a former manager who's still there, you're essentially telling your current employer you're looking. That can backfire if you don't have an offer in hand. Lucas: That's the big tension. The way Sarah handled it was she cultivated those relationships over time. She didn't wait until she was actively applying to reach out. She stayed in touch with her old manager, grabbed coffee quarterly, updated her on what she was working on. So when she eventually said, 'Hey, I'm thinking about exploring opportunities outside, would you be willing to be a reference?' it wasn't a cold ask. It was a continuation of an ongoing conversation. Luna: So the lesson is: treat your internal transfer as the start of a reference-building campaign, not the end. Keep those bridges warm. Lucas: Exactly. And one more thing — when you do leave, make sure you're not relying solely on your most recent manager. A lot of people assume that's the only reference that matters, but your former manager from an internal transfer can actually be more powerful because they have perspective on your growth over multiple roles. Luna: That's a good point. Also, if you've had multiple internal transfers, you can build a reference timeline that shows increasing responsibility and breadth. That's something external candidates often can't match. Lucas: Right. An external candidate might have three references from three different companies, each of whom saw them for maybe two years. An internal mover can have three references from the same company, each of whom saw them over five or six years across different functions. The depth is just different. Luna: And that depth can be a deciding factor in a competitive job market. Hiring managers are looking for signals that you're not just a good interviewer but a consistently strong performer. Lucas: Which brings me to the one mistake I see people make all the time: they burn bridges when they transfer internally. They leave their old team on bad terms, or they stop talking to their old manager entirely. And then when they need a reference two years later, that relationship is cold or even negative. Luna: It's ironic — the internal transfer should be a bridge-building moment, not a bridge-burning one. But people get so focused on the new role that they neglect the old one. Lucas: So the practical takeaway is: during your first 90 days in your new role, schedule a 30-minute check-in with your former manager. Thank them for the support during the transition, and let them know you're excited to stay connected. Then do that every quarter. It's a small investment that pays off enormously when you eventually need that reference. Luna: And if you're early in your internal transfer, start thinking about who you want on your reference list now. Not just your current manager, but the stakeholders you're working with cross-functionally. Build those relationships deliberately. Lucas: I want to get a little tactical here. When you do ask for a reference, be specific about what you want them to highlight. Don't just ask 'can you be a reference?' Say something like, 'I'm applying for a product leadership role, and I'd love for you to speak to the work we did on the XYZ launch and how I managed the engineering partnership.' That makes it easy for them to give a great reference. Luna: It also shows that you respect their time and you've thought about what they can uniquely contribute. That goes a long way. Lucas: And one more tactical piece: always give your reference a heads-up before the call comes. Send them the job description, your updated resume, and a reminder of the specific projects you worked on together. A prepared reference is a confident reference. Luna: I think the bigger picture here is that internal transfers aren't just a way to advance within a company — they're a way to build a portfolio of credible advocates who know you in different contexts. That's a career asset you carry with you. Lucas: Absolutely. And it's something we haven't talked about in 49 episodes. So I'm glad we're hitting it for number 50. Luna: Speaking of hitting a milestone — 50 episodes. That's a lot of conversations about internal moves. And we've done it without any ads, without any sponsors. Lucas: Yeah, that's been intentional from the start. We wanted this show to be genuinely useful, not interrupted by commercial breaks. And the way we've made that work is through listeners who chip in a few dollars a month at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small group, but it makes a huge difference. Luna: If you've gotten something out of the show — maybe a tip that helped you land a transfer or avoid a misstep — that's the only reason the show exists. And we're grateful for every bit of support. Lucas: Alright, back to references. One more angle that I think is underappreciated: the timing of when you collect references from an internal transfer. The best time to ask is actually after you've delivered a big win in your new role, not when you're about to leave. Luna: Because then the reference is freshest, and it's tied to a specific achievement. Plus, it doesn't signal that you're leaving. Lucas: Exactly. So if you transferred six months ago and just wrapped a major project, that's the moment to say, 'Hey, I'd love to have you as a reference going forward. Could we grab a quick coffee to talk about the project and my growth?' It's a natural conversation. Luna: And if you do that with two or three stakeholders over the course of a year, you've built a reference network that's ready to go whenever you need it. Lucas: One last thing: never assume a reference is automatic. Even if someone was your biggest champion during the transfer, they might have moved on, or their memory of your work might have faded. Always confirm before listing them. Luna: And if they seem hesitant, that's a signal too. It's better to know now than to have a lukewarm reference call later. Lucas: So to wrap up our 50th episode: treat every internal transfer as a chance to build a reference portfolio. Keep the relationships warm, be strategic about who you ask, and time your asks around wins. It's one of the highest-leverage things you can do for your long-term career mobility. Luna: And if you've got a story about how an internal transfer helped — or hurt — your reference list, we'd love to hear it. You can find us on the Fexingo network. Lucas: Until next time, keep moving.