Internal job openings pose new career opportunities for existing employees. If you decide to apply for an open internal position, prepare a functional resume that stresses your qualifications and how you can fulfill the duties of the position. Realize that even though you already work for the company, managers in different departments may not be familiar with your work. You should treat the job opening as if you were applying from the outside and prepare a well-written resume that is targeted to the job.

Understand the requirements of the posted position. Ask for a copy of the job description and review all of the functions and responsibilities. Talk to colleagues who work in the same department or have interacted with past individuals who held the position. You can also speak to the supervisor or manager who oversees the position to ask questions and learn additional information.

Target your resume objective to the position for which you are applying. Use one or two sentences to express your interest the position. Use the exact job title and describe how you can use your best qualities to benefit the company. For example, your objective statement could read, "To become the Accounts Receivable Supervisor where I can utilize my dedication and initiative to keep receivables current and improve cash flows."

Complete a summary of your qualifications that relate to the job. Organize your qualifications under three or four broad functional skills. List them in order of importance, naming the skill that relates the closest to the position first. Use broad function titles such as "Administrative," "Communication" or "Leadership." Under each function title, use bullets to list examples of skills and accomplishments. Include statistical figures, recognition and completed tasks that substantiate your claims.

List your employment history. Provide your job title, name of the organization or company and your employment dates. Your list should be in chronological order with your current position first.

Add a section for professional affiliations or activities if they relate to the position. Stress offices you held or projects for which you were responsible to underscore your leadership skills.

Include your educational background. Provide the name of the institution, attendance dates, degrees and your major. Be sure to list any achievements or special recognition you have earned.