Applying for new job after being in a new one

[dragonwalker]

I was promoted about 5 months ago at the credit union I work at to a business analyst. Before that I had worked 3 years in a back-office support role and before that with a bank at the branches for 8 years. I was in school before that and currently I’m 34. Last semester I started my classes in getting my MBA. I’ve never had a management position after college and I really would like that opportunity.

I decided to take my current role because it was an opportunity to expand my skillset in an interesting direction and increase pay. I did not see any opportunity at the time advancing in my current department and my manager didn’t look like she was going anywhere.

Fast-forward 4 months and she’s been promoted and the management position in my previous department has opened up. I am really torn on whether I should apply since I’ve been in my new role a short time. I like it but I find myself bored as a lot of work can get bottlenecked leaving me sometimes with little to do.

I know my former manager and other decisions makers have reached out to a number of people informally and I have heard they all declined to take up the position. Finally this position has officially opened up and my first step was to meet with my former manager now promoted to talk about this position but my sense is it’s probably a long shot for me as I wasn’t even among people I know they talked to.

What do you all think of applying for a position so soon after starting a new one? It would force me to inform my current manager and I feel telegraph to openly that I’m fickle about staying. Could doing something like this come across as that? What do I have to lose applying and failing?


I imagine the likely scenario if I did this is I apply and I’m rejected and I can try again who knows when hopefully in the next few years. Or should I not bother applying and waiting it out till the next opportunity? For those of you interested I have an earlier post that is even more comprehensive about the situation. Maybe some people have some ideas about the best way to go about this? I just can’t stop thinking about this. 

[cool7hand]

I'm curious why your post seems to view applying for another position as a negative? Couldn't you just as easily view your decision as ambitious or in some other positive way(s)?

[dragonwalker]

So that's the thing and maybe I'm thinking about it the wrong way. If I had been in the position more than 1-2 years I wouldn't have any issue. It's just that it was only 5 months ago that I got the position so in my mind there is a bit of professional courtesy I should provide to be in my current position to actually have recouped some of that time and effort and training to bring me over. I think this is why in many companies and even in mine there is a 6 month minimum period to wait between job transfers which is only in theory an obstacle for me but practically won't be a problem since I'm near 6 month anyway.

The other part to this is now I'm demonstrating to my manager that I'm looking for an out. It's not that everyone needs to believe I will stay forever but some part of me thinks that a manager will perhaps be more vested in people they know will stay for a longer term. All the while my manager has been asking me how I like the job and although I like it, the pay is a bit lacking and entering management is something I've always wanted to explore more. I did make this clear in my interview for this position as well when I explained I was in an MBA program but the timeline I provided was years later but none of us could know this particular opportunity for me opened up because literally a new position was created for that person and which they now need to fill a vacancy.

The downside is I really do think I have a slim chance of getting the job and I wonder if making it known I want this job, applying and failing is worse than just waiting till the next time (who knows when) and applying when I'm more in line with getting the job.

[cool7hand]

Why isn't applying and failing really succeeding? Isn't applying and failing, as long as you prepare and interview well, a plus? If all you're missing is experience, the only way to get experience is to ask for it. You're demonstrating that you're someone who's interested in personal growth and wants additional responsibility. Isn't that what every organization wants?

You might want to look under the mental hood and figure out why you're focusing on the negative spin instead of the positive.

[Rdy2Fire]

If you think about applying for a new job as anything but ambitious and trying to further your career then you are already limiting yourself.

If your employer sees it as anything but ambitious and trying to further your career then they are limiting you!

If you apply, are qualified for the position, feel you are and could do it and they don't want to give you a chance then you carry on and start putting feelers out elsewhere. Honestly it all goes back to my 1st statement, some people are very happy to just accept where they are and some are not. You probably just need to figure out which you are right now which could totally change down the road.

[Villanelle]

In your previous post you said that the company has a rule about not being able to leave a position before you've been there for 6 months.  So I'd start by asking to see if that is waiverable.  Get a sense for that, and then if there seems to be any chance at all apply.  You seem to think that not being approached, when others were, means they don't think you are a good fit.  But it may well be related to the company policy that says you aren't even eligible.  why would they approach you if you aren't eligible?  So find out (by talking to HR, the person hiring for the position, or whomever else makes sense) if it is possible for you to move after such a short time, and then if there seems to be any hope, apply.  (Also, if you are at 5 months and the rule is for 6, you are basically there anyway, but the time you'd actually be hired.)

[KarefulKactus15]

My last place had a 2 year minimum on all jobs regardless of it is was lateral or promotion.

They did some toxic shit with that policy.   They would post a lateral move position BEFORE posting a manager position in the same department to lock in top talent at a lower bracket.    Then they could bring in a manager from somewhere else since the qualified person from within was already locked in a lateral move.   

[dragonwalker]

In your previous post you said that the company has a rule about not being able to leave a position before you've been there for 6 months.  So I'd start by asking to see if that is waiverable.  Get a sense for that, and then if there seems to be any chance at all apply.  You seem to think that not being approached, when others were, means they don't think you are a good fit.  But it may well be related to the company policy that says you aren't even eligible.  why would they approach you if you aren't eligible?  So find out (by talking to HR, the person hiring for the position, or whomever else makes sense) if it is possible for you to move after such a short time, and then if there seems to be any hope, apply.  (Also, if you are at 5 months and the rule is for 6, you are basically there anyway, but the time you'd actually be hired.)

Right now I'm technically at 5.5 months. Although 6 months is the technical minimum I don't see that at all as a reason I wasn't approached because it's almost a non issue here about time in job. I can confidently say the reason they didn't approach me was not because they new I technically wasn't able to leave. I'm planning to have lunch meeting with the person that will be hiring for the position to get a better sense of the situation...and the political climate.