Questions to ask during an internal promotion interview

Get ready to face stiff competition—both internally and externally—when gunning for a plum job opening at your company.

Show them you're ready for the next challenge in your career.

In an ideal world, you’d get tapped on the shoulder for a promotion—and receive a handsome raise befitting your new position. But rising up the ranks can be a challenge, even for top performers like you. When it’s time to prove you’ve got what it takes, make sure you prepare smart answers to the promotion interview questions you’re likely to face from your manager.

You may face stiff competition—both internally and externally—when gunning for a plum job opening at your company. Which is why knowing how to stand out during a job promotion interview is crucial.

Here’s how to prepare for five common internal interview questions for a promotion you might be asked.

5 Promotion Interview Questions

1. Why do you think you're right for this position?

Promotion interview tip number one: "Because I deserve it" is not an answer to any question. The best response is to express all you've achieved in your current role and how it has benefitted the company as a whole. Bring hard data to prove what you've accomplished. Show how you've helped guide your co-workers in collaborative projects and have the ability to bring out the best in everyone. Explain that you've got even more to offer to the company if you'd be given this opportunity to boost your professional development learn new skills and make a greater contribution to your organization, and explain how you’ve hit a growth ceiling in your current role and are ready for the next challenge in your career. 

2. If we promote you, how will you deal with your colleagues that got passed over for the job?

Becoming the boss of your former peers has to be a smooth transition—especially if you'll be managing people older than you—but it requires striking a delicate balance. After all, your new direct reports may be bitter that they lost out on the promotion, but letting resentment foster can be detrimental to your team’s success.

Describe how you’re going to meet with your subordinates one-on-one to discuss the change in leadership. Finding out what each person’s career goals are can help you cement good working relationships and create synergy for your team.

3. If selected for this position, what would your leadership style be?

Answer this promotion interview question by showing your manager what you’re capable of as a leader. Demonstrate ways you plan to keep employees engaged, as well as your approach to rewarding and recognizing the good work they do. How will you help employees who are underperforming? This will help persuade your boss that you’ve got what it takes to be at the helm of a team and lead others.

4. What challenges have you overcome in your current role?

Every job has hurdles. Use this internal interview question as an opportunity to reflect on some of the obstacles you’ve faced in your position. Break down the actions you took to overcome them, and how the results of your actions benefited your company.

Be mindful: It’s OK to talk about times when you failed, so long as you convey how you learned something substantive from the experience. Perhaps you failed to trust your gut on a new hire, and the person didn't work out; now, though, you know what to look for when vetting job candidates.

5. What kind of pay bump are you looking for?

You don’t want to undercut yourself for a promotion, but you also don’t want to price yourself out of range for the job. The best approach? Use your insider knowledge to find out what the budget is for the position so that you know what’s a reasonable raise to ask for at the interview.

If you can’t pin down that information, ask for the interviewer’s best offer. For example: “I expect a salary that’s consistent with current employees at the same level. I think I can be a great asset in this position, and if you agree, I’d love to hear your offer.”

Pro tip: Check Monster's salary guide to find out what a person in your position in your area makes.

Don’t Forget to Follow up With a Thank-You Letter

To get your boss to sign off on your promotion, you’ll need to express gratitude for being considered for the position. Here are a few best practices when writing a thank-you note for an interview:

• Tailor it to the conversation you had. Mention a topic that came up during the interview to show that you were present and engaged (e.g. “I enjoyed learning about why you joined the company”).
• Avoid spelling and grammatical errors. Enlist a friend who has a critical eye to proofread the letter.
• Plug your skills (again). Reiterate, briefly, why you’re the best person for the job.

Get Promoted Somewhere Else

If you feel you gave strong answers to the promotion interview questions and deserve a higher position, but there’s no pay rise or title change in sight, it might be time to start looking for a new job. Need a little help getting started? Make a Monster profile for free today. As a member, you can upload up to five versions of your resume—each tailored to the types of jobs that interest you. Recruiters search Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you. Additionally, you can get job alerts sent directly to your inbox to cut down on time spent looking through ads. You bring a lot to the table—don’t get trapped in a job with no upward mobility.

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