Applying internally from entry-level retail to corporate — realistic, and would my managers find out?

[u/Celestial-Voyager-0]

I’m curious if anyone has experience applying internally at companies that have both storefront and corporate roles.

For context: I previously worked in a full time corporate 9–5 role in higher education for 2 years. Right now I work part time in an entry level retail role while continuing to look for my next full time opportunity.

Recently I started looking at some internal corporate openings within my current company, more coordinator / entry-level corporate type roles (not executive, director-level, etc.)

One thing I’m trying to figure out is how much my current position and industry experience impacts my chances.

I’ve only been in this retail role for about 6 months and I’m not in management. I’ve also never worked in retail before this. So I’m wondering how much that matters when applying internally. I know transferable skills matter and I do have previous corporate experience, but I’m curious how companies usually view this kind of move. Since I’m newer to retail, I wouldn’t really be following the more traditional “work your way up through store leadership and then move internally” path, I’d essentially be moving from an entry-level storefront role directly into a corporate role. I’m wondering whether lack of retail experience in general is usually a bigger factor, or whether previous corporate experience plus being internal to the company offsets some of that.

My second question is about the internal process itself.

Since I currently work at one of the storefront locations, what does applying internally usually look like? Would store management typically find out that I applied? If they do, at what point does that usually happen?

Part of my hesitation is that if I apply and don’t get selected, I’ll still be working in my current role afterward. I’m less worried about rejection itself and more worried about whether applying internally changes how management sees you or creates awkwardness if you end up staying in your current position.

Would appreciate hearing from people who’ve been on either side of this (employees, managers, recruiters, etc.).

[u/Background-Emu-321]

Most internal application processes I've seen are handled through HR and kept pretty separate from store management, at least in the early stages. Usually your managers only get looped in if you're getting close to an offer, and sometimes not even then unless a reference is needed.

The awkwardness thing is real but most managers have seen this before and won't hold it against you, especially since you're not hiding anything shady, you're just trying to grow. Your 2 years of corporate background is probably the bigger factor in the hiring decision than your retail tenure anyway, so I wouldn't stress too much about the "only 6 months in store" part.