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A job has come up internally for a Project Manager within our department, something I’ve always wanted to do.
Out of courtesy would you tell your manager that you’ve applied, as chances are they may find out I’ve applied, or would it be seen as me trying to get some leverage.
I’ve been in the organisation ten years, current role only one.
Same department?
Pretty guaranteed they will know pretty soon anyway so tell them first.
Have you had any career development discussions in the past with them indicating you want to go that route?
Depends on your boss. I would but we go back more than 20 years.
Why wouldn’t you?
Tell them. Nothing to lose or gain and common curtesy. If they’re a decent boss they should be encouraging you to better yourself.
Discussions we have had would take on that kind of work within my current role, but the application was a bit of a last minute thing. I hope to catch them in person tomorrow so will mention it then. She’s pretty pragmatic about fitting peoples skills / career aspirations to the roles so expect her to be supportive.
Your boss may already know as more progressive organisations would discuss how they can resource internal vacancies and review internal candidates.
Where I work you are meant to tell your line manager about internal applications. When I did a stint as a team leader one member did this and one actually left the company to work elsewhere. I personally was fully supportive of both of them and in return, they did what they could not to leave us in the shit.
Yes, absolutely, unless your boss is a controlling bell-end that you’d be concerned might to try block the move. If they are even a half-decent human then it’s a common courtesy, might even gain you some support and isn’t risking burning bridges.
Also, as a PM you can expect to have to deal with every/any department in the business. Wouldn’t be good to start off on a negative footing
People do it all the time at our place, sometimes for operational reasons, sometimes because the existing rôle has become physically tiring, and the new position is just more interesting, which is what I did. I was in Logistics, but the amount of walking I was doing was just getting too physically demanding - I walked 16 miles across two days one week - so I asked if I could move onto the AA contract, which was granted without any quibbles at all. I’m now a Production Specialist, I apply the livery graphics to the cars that go out to the driving instructors for AA and BSM, and I decommission the cars as well, removing all of the graphics before the cars go for repair and refurbishment.
When the weather’s as hot as it is now, it’s a joy not to keep getting into cars that ar 40 degrees inside, and picking up a key leaves blisters!
Like some other, my work have a process where you should tell your boss if applying for another internal role. Also, lucky that moving teams/roles is actively encouraged if it means retaining rather than losing good folk.
If you don't have a similar process in place, I would think about how it will feel if you apply and your boss finds out anyway. Would they have preferred you gave them a heads up? If so there's your answer. Industries are often small, let alone the same company. If the project management job doesn't work out it's always good to have options.
My boss gets informed automatically by the application system.
I’d expect to be told before an application went in and I would (and have on many occasions) help any of my staff with their application.
Failure to tell one’s management makes one look a bit duplicitous imho.
I was under the impression that it was necessary to tell your line manager if you've applied for an internal role, not an if / maybe.
Yes you should tell them, out of courtesy and the belief that they should then help you along the way (assuming you deserve the opportunity).
Where I work it is considered a necessary step in the process to talk to your line manager about it before applying for anything. They should then be helping you through the process, or as other have said may have already considered you as part of succession planning.
If a boss blocks a move out of stupidity/own agenda then they should not be a boss.
Yes absolutely. And surely the hiring manager’s first action will be to ask your boss about you?
People are supposed to tell their line manager at my work (nobody does) and recruiting managers are not allowed to call the previous manager to get a chat about the person (everybody does).
I always think honesty is the best policy! Also - do you think they are likely to give you a good report to the recruiting manager?
Can't be any harm in mentioning that you've applied to the post unless you have a terrible relationship with them. I think I would expect anyone to apply for another role if it's an opportunity so I doubt they would be surprised either.
At our place you're not meant to disclose who is being interviewed to anyone outside the interviewing process as we try to interview blindly.
Absolutely tell them, as others have said it's common courtesy and your prospective manager will speak to your current manager about it.
If you don't, your current manager is going to be wondering why you haven't already mentioned it and that might make your future relationship awkward
Thanks everyone, I told her and she was very supportive, I just wasn’t sure if there was any point unless I actually got the job, but also thought that it might be seen as a move of spite as the atmosphere in the team is pretty negative at the moment.