That Internal Job Posting May Not Be as Open as It Looks

As part of our ongoing “HR Won’t Tell You” series, we’re taking a closer look at the workplace realities that can have a major impact on your career—but aren’t always explained clearly by HR, your manager, or your employer. Our goal isn’t to make you cynical about work. It’s to help you become a more informed, confident professional who understands how organizations operate and knows how to protect and advance your own career. In this installment, we’re talking about internal job postings and promotions—and what every fashion industry professional should know before applying.

You see the announcement:

Senior Designer position now open.

It’s the promotion you’ve been waiting for. You update your internal profile, prepare for the interview, and start imagining yourself in the new role.

Then someone else gets it almost immediately.

What happened?

Sometimes an internal job posting is genuinely wide open. Other times, management may already have a preferred candidate in mind.

There can be legitimate reasons companies still post the position. Policies may require jobs to be advertised internally, leadership may want to evaluate additional candidates, or the hiring manager may have someone they believe is ready for the opportunity.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply.

Apply anyway.

Internal interviews can create visibility with leadership, demonstrate ambition, and position you for another opportunity even if you don’t get this one.

But approach internal opportunities strategically.

Talk with your manager when appropriate. Ask trusted colleagues what they know about the position. Pay attention to whether someone has already been performing many of the responsibilities.

Most importantly, if you don’t get the job, ask a more useful question than, “Why did they choose them?”

Ask:

“What would I need to demonstrate over the next six to twelve months to be considered ready for this level?”

Now you have information you can use.

And if leadership repeatedly tells you that you’re “almost ready” while opportunities consistently go elsewhere, that’s information too.

Sometimes the most valuable result of pursuing an internal promotion isn’t getting the job.

It’s finding out whether your employer actually sees a future for you.