So I have a question which I hope has a right answer. Essentially what I'm asking here is for the professional norm.
I currently work for a large company, and am interviewing at other teams within the company where I would genuinely like to work. That said, I would prefer to work at a different company and am thus applying there as well. The internal team wants to go ahead and interview me and might accept me long before the external company.
If I get an invitation internally, is it professional "OK" to accept it and then within a month or 2 (perhaps before even switching teams) leave the company and have to decline them if I get an offer from my preferred company?
This is different than declining an offer as it is basically agreeing to work somewhere (but not a contract, just a team) and then changing my mind. It would leave them a little put out, since they will not interview in the meantime, but I also can't tell them I'm looking elsewhere. Perhaps I should have waited to apply internally but this is where I am. That said, is it just business? Will I be burning bridges?