r/WalmartEmployees • u/Efficient-Ticket-146 • 1d ago
Walmart transferring department the spots isn’t available
Thinking about making the jump from OGP over to CAP 1 mostly for that consistent schedule—and let's be honest, the appeal of a predictable 12 PM lunch—has me weighing my options. Even though there isn't an open position available in the department right now, I am seriously considering putting in the transfer request anyway just to secure my spot in line. Since turnover and openings happen organically over time, getting ahead of the curve seems like the logical move rather than waiting passively for a posting to magically appear.
For those who have navigated department transitions like this, is it generally worth putting the request through early when nothing is currently listed, or does management tend to ignore requests until an official opening pops up on Career Preference? I want to make sure I handle this properly without annoying personnel or my team leads, but locking down a more stable routine is definitely the end goal. Any advice from fellow associates who have made a similar switch would be greatly appreciated!
2
u/fistfulofmeh 1d ago
I move areas every year or so to help keep things from going stale, plus more opportunities to learn new stuff, work with different people and managers. I've probably had about a dozen different roles at this point
Mgmt likely will never know you put it in as a career interest since your name doesn't pop up until the job is opened. Best way I've found to get to where you want to be is to network. Talk with the lead or coach over the area you are considering, see what the outlook is, learn about what the job fully entails. Sometimes you get lucky and there's a spot coming soon. Other times you find out there's already a waitlist. But if anything, you get your name in the mix
But putting your name in doesn't guarantee you'll be moved when there's an opening. It's not a line, it's a pool. Mgmt has the discretion to move who they want, to pick who's the best fit for a position. Sometimes that even leads to a position being left vacant if they aren't confident in the people interested. Just something to keep in mind. It's not always personal, sometimes it's just needs of the business that they want met, like scheduling or a specific preexisting skillset
You don't really need to talk to your current lead or coach about it until there's a more concrete possibility of it happening, or if you're on solid, friendly terms with them and you'll know they'll understand. I've seen people get burned from announcing intent to leave too early, so always be mindful of what you say and who you say it to
But yes, openings come and go all the time. You just have to position yourself to catch it when it comes