9 to 5
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How to bring up promotion possibilities in interview?
in 9 to 5
How do you bring up the issue of growth/promotion opportunities in an interview?
I am interviewing on Monday at a firm that has more growth potential than where I am now. However, I am interviewing for a lower position than I would ideally like (to get my foot in the door), but I want to make sure that it's not dead end and that they would possibly promote me in the future.
My question is - how do I bring this up? I don't want them to think I don't want the position I have applied for or that I think it is beneath me, but I also don't want to change jobs just to change jobs and still not have room for growth - make sense?
(fyi - I'm hoping to promote from a legal secretary to a paralegal)
Thanks!
Re: How to bring up promotion possibilities in interview?
Maybe say something like, "What are the long-term opportunities for this position?"
That way it shows that you want to be there for a while and not just a "I'm here till I find something better."
"What are your opportunities for advancement?"
"Are there opportunities for training/educational opportunities to move up in the firm?"
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I worry that your skills will be taken advantage of as "legal secretary who can do paralegal work" and then get paid less for it. I know a lawyer who couldn't get a lawyer job. He was able to secure a job as a paralegal for a company he really wanted to work for, with the promise of promotion to lawyer. It never happened. They had no incentive to pay him as a lawyer when they could use those lawyer skills while he paralegaled and pay him less.
I think your best bet would be to ask them whether any of their legal secretaries have ever successfully been transitioned to paralegals, and hope they're honest with the answer.
I was in a similar position in that there was nowhere for me to go in my former position.
When asked why I was considering leaving, I told them that there was no opportunity for growth in my current position and that I was looking for a position where there was that opportunity.
If you are already a paralegal I would suggest looking for paralegal position, if they know that they can hire a legal secretary who can do paralegal work, they are most likely not going to promote you to paralegal anytime soon.
I would definitely make it clear that you are looking to advance in your career there if hired. It would suck to change jobs only to stay at the same level.
Thanks for the great advice everyone.
Yes, I do have my paralegal certificate, but I have not yet worked as a paralegal. I have been a legal secretary for 10 years, and I just completed my bachelor's degree. The market is tough right now for all paralegals, much less the one's without experience, like me. My current firm does not have paralegals (just due to the area of law we practice), but the firm I am interviewing at does - so at least there is some slight potential I could advance eventually.
I want the firm I'm interviewing at to know that I am truly interested in the legal secretary job, but I don't want to necessarily stay in that position forever. It's going to take some finesse and just feeling out the situation. I know it will be a risk that I may never get promoted, but it's a guarantee that I never will at my current firm.
I was promoted from being a legal administrative assistant to a paralegal at my current firm - I think it really depends on the firm AND your capabilities. On top of that, you have to be firm about not getting taken advantage of simply because you are able to do more complex work.