Frustrated with internal applications.

Anonymous

August 2,2023 at 6:12PM UTC

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Frustrated with internal applications.

I work in Sales for a large, global, manufacturer. The division I work in is small with very few opportunities for advancement. I have been considered for two roles in my division in the past year. I did not receive either position, although I was in the top 2. The feedback I've received is that it is just "not my time" yet, and that I'm on a list of employees they "need" to promote. I don't know how many others are on this "list", but my guess is they are all male and have worked for the company longer than I have.

I received an award for my work in 2022 and received the highest scores on my 2022 review that can be given.

I've now decided to move internally to a different division, which I was led to believe was "easy" when I was hired - it is anything but! I have applied to 4 positions in the last month, with interviews for 3 of them. I was flagged as a "Good Fit" in the internal Career Site and all the interviews seemed to go well in my opinion. In each case, I have one or two interviews and then I am ghosted - my application shows in the "Interview" stage on the Career Site, but no calls, no emails, no updates - nothing! It is worse than internet dating.

For the roles I have received feedback on, it is always the same: lack of experience in the industry. The recruiter and the hiring manager knew this about my experience before scheduling me for interviews. I feel being a woman of color, I am only being interviewed to "check a box", as there is a strong I&D initiative in this company. That being said, I don't see how I can overcome this - I have changed industries three times since 2014. Moving to a new industry requires product knowledge training initially, but I would think my strong sales track record and sales management skills would override the lack of industry knowledge.

I took this position to work for this company, not because I am in love (or had any experience) in the particular field I am in. Also, note I only have about 6 years or so before hitting retirement age, so I do not want to job hop endlessly. My goal is to make as much money as possible to save for retirement. I won't be vested with my 401K company contributions until next year.

I don't know whether to keep on the same track or look at other companies in 2024. The one thing I don't want to do is take a lower position with the promise of a promotion in the future - been there, done that.

Any advice is appreciated!

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AnonymousAugust 2,2023 at 9:11PM UTC
Hmmm...Being so close to retirement is real, it's like you can taste it! However, I'd say never stop looking! Keep your options open, even if things shake out (eventually) with this company.
I find the internal hiring process is sometimes worse than the external (can't stand that). I am so sorry this is happening but I am hopeful that things will stabilize on your end.
I understand that you don't want to job hop but this job market and roles today are so fickle (hate that too). The best thing you can do is continue to do your best, take breaks as you can and find a self care outlet as you move through this storm.
Network internally and externally --- you just never know where things could lead these days so stay ready!
Wishing you the best of luck!
Mary PoolAugust 3,2023 at 1:52PM UTC
From personal experience, I know that internal hiring is sometimes more difficult than external hiring because of federal and state requirements. If this is a larger company, they must prove they gave external candidates a fair chance at the position. I advise you to stay put and continue investing in your retirement, especially if you are at a stable company. Six years is not that long. You can continue to look; if something opens up, great; if not, you are still set. Not to be a broken record (because I recommend this book all the time), read Magic Words by Jonah Berger. His advice on communication is invaluable. (Skip the introduction, I almost didn’t read the book because of the introduction.)
AnonymousAugust 3,2023 at 5:34PM UTC
If your main goal is the financial part of the equation it is probably best to remain in one area and stay the course, head down and keep pushing for the upward road. Often internal candidates get hamstringed and when moving up get little or no recognition. They often take the up and covers vs the high producers and move them up. Since you are dealing with ageism, sexism, and color-ism (was looking for the right wording here so please forgive) unless you make a big stink about it to the person who runs DEI in your company and let them know what is happening to you, it sounds like the company is not going to move you up. What often happens in larger companies is they talk the talk but when it comes to walking the walk they just cannot figure out how to get women and certainly women of color who might not have had the same upward trajectory as white men to fit the needs of the hiring committees. It sucks, yes but unless you are willing to take that risk and be vocal not in an angry way but factual about it then it might not change for that specific employer. Bubbling it up is what I would do and I too am close to retirement age but I would be willing to risk it all. If you aren't then the risk might be too great to bear. I wish I had better help here, but working in HR and having worked at a company similar to what you describe all of my efforts had fallen on deaf ears. So I left. If you can package up your wonderfulness to a close competitor of theirs and get more of what you want that might be the best solution. You got this sister. Make it yours...
MidwestMaven456August 8,2023 at 3:02PM UTC
You've changed industries 3 times in 7 years. Even with COVID concerns, that track record still tells them that you are the one who is not sure about where to be and what you want to do.
Perhaps a change a company would be beneficial, but you would have to start at the bottom if you have no experience. Find something that you really enjoy, otherwise, you will be just be passing time until retirement. That will make you more frustrated and disappointed.
Katherine Metres Akbar, Interview Coach & Resume ExpertAugust 9,2023 at 1:19PM UTC
I'm sorry this has been your experience and that you have to wonder if it's I&D window dressing. The thing is the reason you are not getting the jobs is probably not lack of experience, because--as you pointed out--they already knew about your experience before interviewing you. During interviews, the hiring manager is assessing whom they most like, trust, and feel confident about having in the role. If you are like most of my clients, you could do more to build rapport during the interview and speak in a more confident way, and that would make all the difference.
If you haven't gotten any professional interview prep, I would strongly recommend it. It can make a world of difference in your being the one to get the offer. Please feel free to call on me if I can help in this regard. If investing in this is not appealing, you can also watch the videon my YESwriting website (Resources--Interviewing) that shares all of my best interview strategies. Best wishes!