Does your organization post jobs for internal applicants? One of the biggest mistakes you can do is to not put your best foot forward.

Many times internal appicants think they are a "shoe-in" for the job. As a result they submit a sloppy resume and only give 1/2 answers during the interview and can't figure out why they didn't get the job.

Even if you are applying for an internal job, act as if the company has never heard of you before - always put your best foot forward.

I agree with this! When I was applying, I upgraded my wardrobe, made sure that my references were in order, updated my resume, and tailored each of my letters to the jobs that were posted. Unfortunately, I did not get any of the jobs that I was qualified for.

This leads to the second part of applying for the internal job. If you don't get it, you can't be bitter. You need to go on and do an exemplary job in your present position.