New Year, New Career – a catchy phrase that gets thrown around  a lot this time of year.

But let’s be realistic – if you are going to have an employment change in 2024 it’s far more likely to be either a similar job with a new employer or a new job with your current employer, rather than a dramatic change in career direction.

5 actions for how to change your job, not your employer in 2024

1. Know your WHY
Ask yourself why you want to change your job. Why now?  Are you looking for more responsibility? Or less? Do you want to more involved in a different part of the business that up to now has been just a small part of your current role? Have you recently completed a course and want to put what you have learned into practice?

Whatever the reason, get it clear in your head before you start putting your plan into action. “I’m bored and just fancy a change” may be a good enough reason for you but not for the manager of the department you want to join.  Think about how you can solve a problem for them – don’t be the problem!

2. Know your skills and your value
If you have been doing the same job for a number of years it’s likely that you have not objectively analysed your key skills and how you can contribute to a new role within the company. “I’ve been here 10 years and never got a bad review” is a terrible sales pitch.  

Write a list of your top 10 key skills and match them to what is important in the job /department you want to move to. Ideally you want a 70% + overlap to make a compelling case for what you can contribute.

3. Don’t blindside your current manager
No-one likes surprises. Don’t let them hear from someone else that you are planning to change your job. Let your manager know you are thinking about your next move.  They could make some suggestions about what would be a great next move for you and make some introductions. Get them on your side.

4. Network. Ask questions
Speak to people working in other departments or teams and find out what their priorities and skills requirements are. You could be the perfect fit for one of them. Make a start by getting yourself known outside your current department. Think about how you could contribute to projects involving other divisions within your company. Not all opportunities get advertised on internal jobs boards. Don’t rely on them to be the catalyst for you to change your job within the company.

Managers know that a candidate that has come from an internal move has a higher chance of being successful in the role than an external hire – and is a lot more cost effective for the company.  But they may not even know you exist until you start to make those connections. Start to increase your visibility across the company.

5. Treat the interview like AN INTERVIEW
Just because you are being interviewed for an internal role and your manager has given you a glowing reference doesn’t mean you don’t need to prove your worth in the interview. Why should they take your manager’s word for it? They will want to make their own decision. Prepare for the internal interview just like you would for any job interview.