With the U.S. labor market remaining strong, over half of American workers say they're looking for a new job or are planning to do so soon, according to a recent LendingTree survey.
Workers seeking a new job cited salary as the leading reason for wanting to leave their current gig.
"Limiting opportunities exist within several employers right now," Scott Dobroski, a career trends expert at Indeed, tells CNBC Make It. "Also, many companies have not been increasing wages at the same rate as some employees would like."
But LendingTree also found that one-third of workers who are on the job hunt want to stay within their company, just in a different role. Whether it's due to uncertain economic times or because workers love career growth opportunities, Dobroski says he isn't surprised by this statistic.
"To look within your employer is really smart for many of these employees," says Dobroski. "It's a signal that they probably like their company, they feel good about working there. And it also shows that they believe there could be career opportunities within the company, either in or outside of their own team."
But navigating a jump to a new role can also seem intimidating or awkward. While there's no "one-size-fits-all" approach, here are three tips from Dobroski on the right way to switch jobs within your employer.
How to navigate switching jobs within your employer
If you're part of the 33% of American workers who want a new job at their current company, you'll want to keep these three steps in mind when thinking about switching roles.
1. Do your research
Many companies already offer programs where employees can explore new opportunities on different teams, making it significantly easier for workers to jump jobs. These programs can take the form of apprenticeships or being paired with a mentor on another team to learn more about their work.
"A lot of employers want to retain talent, especially in this tight labor market," says Dobroski. "These programs exist and people don't even know about them, so it's really important to research and ask."
If you find that your employer doesn't offer these opportunities but you still want to join another team, Dobroski recommends researching current job openings at your company.
"Many companies are friendly and want to entertain internal transfers and internal candidates," he says. "But you want to be aware of what teams are hiring."
2. Take advantage of internal networking
Alongside doing your research, networking is also a key tool to learn more about other positions and successfully switch jobs. Dobroski suggests utilizing the internal communication channels available at your company to learn more about different roles.
"A huge advantage if you want to transfer teams is you can send a Slack or an email directly and ask [a fellow employee] if they'd be open to a Zoom conversation, if they'd be willing to look at your resume," he says.
3. Keep your boss informed
Throughout the process of searching for a new job, you should keep an open line of communication with your direct manager to reduce any potential awkwardness surrounding switching teams.
"You wouldn't want to start talking with others and have your manager not know or be surprised," says Dobroski. "I think part of career advancement is that good managers should be supportive and it's about keeping them informed."
Fearing rejection?
What if your job-hopping attempt doesn't work out? Don't let that stop you from trying, Dobroski says.
"Even if you don't get the role, you've made contacts and networked with people that could be super valuable to you when a future role comes open," he says. "You never know, your next best job may be in the team next to you."
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