The Monster Blog

The Right Way to Go After an Internal Transfer

Making an internal move in a company is a great way to build your skills and explore opportunities with a community of colleagues who have inside knowledge about how you work. If you’re looking to make a career change, an internal transfer can be a great opportunity, as your potential new boss can get more of the story than your resume and cover letter may tell.

Why should companies encourage and nurture folks to make internal transfers? A number of reasons, including:

• Your proven track record at the company is even better than a professional reference.
• It shows the company’s commitment to employees’ career development.
• Retention, retention, retention.

Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re looking to make an internal transfer:

• Tell Your Boss: Be as open as possible to your boss about your intentions. In such situations, your boss can be a great advocate for you. And even if your boss does not want to see you go, he will likely understand that your move could be good for the company. What’s more, since you would be moving internally, your boss and team can benefit from a more structured transition than if you were leaving the company altogether.
• Be Professional: Sure, you may know the folks you are interviewing with, perhaps even outside the office, but that doesn’t mean you can forsake job search etiquette. Remember to be on time for interviews and to dress the part of interviewee. Write thank-you notes and go the extra mile, just as you would for an outside opportunity.
• Update Your Resume: You can’t rely on performance reviews and your accomplishments to speak for themselves. You still need to sell yourself. So update your resume and be sure your prospective boss and HR have a copy on file.

For more advice on making an internal transfer, check out these resources:

• “Apply for an Internal Job”
• “Ten Questions to Ask Before Making an Internal Move”
• “Transfer Internally the Right Way”

Let’s Kill Bad PowerPoint Presentations

As I was reading Garr Reynolds’s outstanding new book, Presentation Zen, last weekend, I was reminded of all the bad PowerPoint presentations I’ve sat through -- and sometimes given, unfortunately -- over the years.

I think you know what I’m talking about -- presentations where slides are filled with too many bullet points, speakers do little more than read the slides, and charts are impossible to understand at a quick glance. At the end of one of these train wrecks, you in the audience are left asking yourself, “Why didn’t the speaker just email me the slides instead? I could have read them from the comforts of my own desk -- and in about one-tenth of the time.”

The problem, as Reynolds notes, is that the speaker incorrectly assumes “a presentation made with the aid of slideware…must necessarily include lines of text projected on a screen that mirrors the spoken word of the presenter.”

Creating Effective Presentations

So how can you and I do a better job of preparing for and delivering powerful presentations that inform, influence and dazzle? Here are a few of Reynolds’s suggestions:

• Step Away from the Computer: Don’t map out your entire presentation with PowerPoint open in front of you. “Plan analog,” as Reynolds puts it. Take time to think about your key messages and sketch out your ideas with pen and paper first. Come back to the digital slides later.



• Craft a Good Story: We remember good stories, not bullet points. Be sure to include authentic -- and personal -- anecdotes in your presentation that feature “clear beginnings; provocative, engaging content in the middle and a clear conclusion,” Reynolds says. 



• Go Visual: Use images to tell your stories and move your audience. Instead of listing all 12 failures of your existing CMS on a single slide, display an appropriate visual that communicates the message more evocatively, and then speak to some of the problems. If you simply must list all 12 reasons for the written record to please your boss, include them on a separate takeaway document you distribute -- after the presentation.



• Don’t Overdo It: When in doubt, leave it out! “Give [the audience] high quality -- the highest you can,” Reynolds says, “but do not give them so much quantity that you leave them with their heads spinning and guts aching.”

And don’t just take Reynolds’s word for it. Check out some of my new-media colleagues’ recommendations and Monster’s "Public Speaking Made Easy" article as well to ensure that your next presentation doesn’t bore your audience to tears. 

Presentation Horror Stories

Have your own presentation tales of woe to share? Let us know about them in the comments below.

Become a Subject-Matter Expert with Social Media

One of the primary reasons I’m such a champion of the tools of the online social web is that they enable anyone with an Internet connection -- not just the executives in the C-suite -- to position themselves as experts.

And what happens when you become an expert? You quickly become more attractive to potential future employers -- if not also to your current one.

So if you’re starting from scratch, how can you progress from anonymous to expert online? Here are a few suggestions:

Blog About Your Passion: It doesn’t really matter what that passion is -- knitting, traveling, the collision of marketing and technology, etc. Use the instant-publishing power of a blog to talk about subjects that drive and motivate you. If you can do that in a reasonably eloquent fashion, the readers will come -- and then they’ll keep coming back.

Connect with Other Bloggers: The most successful bloggers I know don’t just publish their own blog and call it a day. They also reach out to other bloggers who share similar interests. You can start by pledging to leave at least three comments a week on friends’ and colleagues’ blogs.

Maintain and Grow Your Online Network: Sites like Facebook and LinkedIn are good places to find and follow like-minded professionals and hobbyists. As you make new connections and catch up with old friends and acquaintances, make sure they know what you’re passionate about, what you’re good at, and how you might help them. Remember that Networking is just as much about giving back to others as it is about helping your own career.

Participate in Online Conversations: Whether it’s through posting short messages on Twitter, leaving comments on blogs or taking part in a message board community like Monster’s, demonstrate your expertise by reading and listening well, and then offering thoughtful contributions to a group.

Organize and Join Events: Sometimes you need to take your online skills to a face-to-face setting. Speaking at a community-driven unconference in your hometown is one way to do that. But if you want to take things up a notch, use free-event-management tools on Facebook, Upcoming or Eventbrite, and organize your own in-person meetup.

Anything I’ve missed here? If you have your own success stories of using the social web as a career booster, share them in the comments section below.

And if you’re looking for more Monster resources on social media and social networking, check out these links:

• "Seven Tips for Social Networking Online"
• "Social Software and Your Career" 
• "Audio: Care for and Feed Your Online Network"

Skip the Flowers and Chocolates This Valentine’s Day?

When you walk through your office on Valentine’s Day this year and see your female coworkers’ desks filled with flowers or boxes of chocolates, consider this: There’s a decent chance they bought that gift for themselves.

It’s true -- at least if we’re to believe the results from this year’s Jewelry.com Valentine’s Day Survey, in which 30 percent of women admit to having self-gifted.

And it gets a little crazier: Nearly half of those surveyed (47.4 percent) said they expect to be disappointed with their Valentine’s Day gift.

Maybe those of us that are still sorting out what to buy our wives or girlfriends for February 14 should just take the year off.  After all, if we buy them something, they’re likely to be disappointed. If we skip the presents altogether, they can just pick up some roses on their own. Who would know?

Yup, I’m sure this plan will go over really well with my wife!

Of course, if you’re looking for a better scheme to impress your loved one this Valentine’s Day -- including one in your own office -- listen to our podcasts with Margot Carmichael Lester:

• "Dos and Don'ts of Office Romancing"   
• "Valentine’s Day Tip"