You’ve seen a promotional opportunity posted on your company’s intranet.  It looks interesting.  VERY interesting.  If you get the position, you’ll have more challenges and more money.

But how much do you really know about the job?  Is this job “The One?” 

You should have a pretty good idea what the job’s all about before interviewing.  And, since you already work for the company, obtaining additional information should be pretty straightforward:

Intranet.  Since you probably saw the posting on the internal company network, you may also find additional nuggets of information.  Who manages the division?  The teams?  Are there any articles about that area on past issues of the company newsletter?  Knowing the products and services of the new area is important because you will be queried (or even grilled) on you knowledge in the interview.

Who do you know?  It’s not what you know… You’ve heard the cliché.  Do you know anybody on the team?  If not, you might find a contact name on the intranet.  When you meet with your contact, ask about the direction of the team, any upcoming projects, workflow and processes.  Also ask about the dirty end of the stick – what they don’t like about their job(s).

Managers.  Look on the intranet and the company newsletter, as well as ask people who work in that area about the managers.  This will give you an insight into their leadership styles.  But don’t stop there.  Run their names through the major search engines.  They may have published a paper or have been interviewed for publication or broadcast.  Rest assured they will be running your name, too.  Knowing the manager’s – and hiring manager’s – style before interviewing can help you prepare.

IN THE CARAVAN: Run recon before your promotional interview by checking the company intranet, talking with people in the new area and researching the manager.

NEXT THURSDAY: Promotional Interviews Part III: Showing Your Stuff

Looking for more Interviewing advice?  Check out The Lion’s Pride!

Check out last Thursday’s post.