Inside Track

Being an insider doesn't guarantee you the inside track to an inside job. Assuming colleagues know you're terrific is among the most common mistakes made by inside applicants. It's hardly the only one, however.

Such mistakes explain why fewer than a third of the people seeking alternate employment with their current company get hired, says John Sullivan, a management professor at San Francisco State University. Further lowering the odds, he adds, is the fact that "a growing number of firms now give equal or even superior consideration to an external candidate." And surveys show that big businesses are filling a lot more jobs with outsiders.

The best solution? Spend more time preparing for an in-house move than for an outside vacancy. Internal hiring managers expect you to grasp every nuance of the business because you enjoy tremendous access to co-workers and corporate data

I add another recommendation to this CareerJournal article: Don't hint in any way that you feel you're a shoo-in. People hate to be taken for granted and internal candidates can easily come across as arrogant.