Informing supervisor of interest in another position

[bwina]

Has anyone ever found themselves in situation where they have to decide whether they should inform their supervisor about an interest in another possition within the same organisation?  I am in this situation now.  My dilemna is that do I go ahead and apply letting my supervisor find out from the other end or do I bring it up now with her before I submit my application.  What would you do?  My appraisal is coming up soon and I am fearing that this scenario might upset everything if I do not manage to get the other job.

[itsme_calista]

You should tell your supervisor.  It may go against you if you don't, I'm thinking along the lines of honesty and openness.  At the end of the day you'd want your supervisor to treat you the same.  

If you don't get the job it shouldn't make your appraisal difficult, in fact it may be an opportune chance to express that you are interested in other roles, you could then discuss the opportunities available along with any training requirements.

Callie

[bwina]

Thanks Callie, its a relief.  I had this gut feeling that I needed to do this but could not bring myself to it dreading it would upset my good relationship with my supervisor and how she looks at me going forward

[gee4]

No.

1)  Never been anywhere long enough to experience that
2)  No higher positions ever became available where I have worked
3)  Never worked for an organisation where I could get promoted to a more senior role

Most of my roles have been for senior management, so not really anywhere left to be promoted to.

[bwina]

I was in that position before about a year and half ago, but then decided to move into a lower position in a bigger organisation that would present opportunities to climb up the ladder because i started feeling stuck in one position and this is just one of the opportunities that has presented itself.

[Atlanta Z3]

A new department was started in a company I worked at; I was courted for the admin position of the department.  I was attached to my bosses, but wanted the new challenge even though the pay was the same (more bonus potential). It was hard telling my boss that I wanted to apply for the new position, I felt like a kicked a puppy!  I took the new position, and was made to work for both departments for about three months in a transition phase.
It's a tough decision to make. I would speak with the boss first.  Hopefully he will be understanding about your career goals and encourage what is best for you (and the company).  As for the review - I would present this in a positive light that you are looking to grow within the company (unspoken rather than look else where).
Good luck

[msmarieh]

I would definitely speak with the boss first, difficult though the conversation may be.

I would say something along the lines of... I am very thankful that you have given me the opportunity to continue my professional development in my position. I think I have grown a lot and my skills have improved. I really love working for this company and department, and I think the time has come for me to take on some new responsibilities. I would like to apply for another position that has been posted. I wanted to speak to you about it directly so that you would know that I intended to apply for this position. It would be a promotion for me. I hope you will support me in my efforts to move up within the company.

Marie

[peaches2160]

It is always a professional courtesy to inform your supervisor of interest in another position.  They are supposed to support you in your development and career goals.  

[misslynn]

I agree with everyone's comments that you should definitely tell your boss.  Though it's a tough conversation, ultimately your boss should appreciate that you were open and honest with him and respect you for telling him up front.

[bwina]

Marie you are a star - just the right message, I would not have put it this positively Thanks!


To you all, I appreciate, I am really glad I put this across.

Edited by bwina on 11/04/08 08:10 AM.

[movinonup]

My previous manager was always made aware (by me) when I was interviewing for other positions in the company.  I didn't want him to find out from HR that this was happening, since that seemed underhanded to me.  He didn't exactly encourage me, but reluctantly wished me "good luck" when I went on the interviews.  None of them worked out for me, and I think he was happy that I wasn't moving out of his area.

Now that our department has been reorganized, I am directly supporting the director of my previous manager, but am still working with the old manager.  Things are a little dicey in that respect, and I am doing 3 times the amount of work I did before.  So I am working with my new boss to get my level increased, along with an appropriate raise.  He seems to recognize that I am frustrated with how this all worked out so far, but things have been too busy to get HR issues resolved.  He has promised we'll have one-on-one discussions once everything is settled down.

My old manager keeps saying to me, "Well, at least you're happy now--you're working for a director."  It is kind of a dig, I think, but I don't know what he expected me to do...should I have said, "No, Mr. Director, you'll have to find someone new to support you, since I'm so attached to Mr. Manager."  ??

I encourage you to be open and honest with your current supervisor.  It is only natural that you would be seeking to improve your circumstances.  I found that when I tried for these jobs, my manager would respond by making my job more challenging.  (Somehow this never resulted in much of a raise, however...)


Movinonup

[empressg]

I would absolutely get the blessing of my supervisor, especially if you have a good relationship.  They maybe able to push the approval along.  If you boss is a real ambitious person then they will have no problem with you being ambitious also.  Don't do it in writing, discuss in person they may have some tips.  Go for it!  Good luck!