If you want to get a different job within your organisation, try approaching it like someone who is selling something to your company.
Think about the new role from a commercial perspective. Start by considering the value proposition to the organisation – in other words, how your new role will help the company make money, reduce expenditure, innovate, or raise engagement and therefore productivity. For example, say you are seeking to take on a leadership role. How would you describe and quantify the business value of that role? It’s also important to consider your network within the company. Who would be most interested in the value proposition you are offering? Who might support your proposal? How might you set up a conversation to engage their support?
Let’s take Mary as a case study. Mary worked in the IT team and wanted to propose a stimulating new job investigating the efficiency of the technology within her company. The role would assess the user experience and whether users spent the right amount of time doing the right things. Drawing on her colleagues Jo (proficient at pulling together business cases) and Pete (who helped her present her figures), Mary created a succinct proposal that laid out the role’s potential remit and cost savings.
If you are thinking about making a change, but ideally would like to stay put, it’s always worth considering what opportunities might exist within your own organisation. What roles are missing or needed but haven’t yet been created? After all, what’s there to lose by finding out what’s possible?