Your career questions answered

Q: I am currently studying the Foundation stage of the CPQ. Things had been going well and I was managing to balance my full-time job as a conveyancing executive with my studies. Quite recently, however, I lost a family member I was very close to. It has been a very difficult time and I am finding it hard to fully commit to my studies as well as the day job. Should I put the CPQ on hold or try to press on?

Our expert careers panel answers your career questions and work dilemmas:

Louise Tyrrell is membership manager at CILEX

Briony Barber-Wood is a senior associate at recruitment consultancy Chadwick Nott. She specialises in the recruitment of CILEX practitioners.

Louise: Sorry for your loss, it’s completely understandable that losing a close family member can make the prospect of studying seem very daunting, especially when you’re already working full time.

When you register for the full Foundation stage, it is expected to take 18-24 months to complete, so this already provides you with some flexibility. Also, at the time of the registration, you are granted access to all your manuals for a period of three years, so even if your enrolment was not active and you haven’t completed the qualification within the two years, you will still have access to your resources and the option to do the assessment. If you wanted to extend that, you would need to speak with your training provider. You also have a further element of flexibility because you can book your assessments when you feel ready.

Ultimately the decision is up to you. If taking a break is what you want, you have the flexibility built into the qualification, so you can take some time out and will not be prevented from continuing with your studies.

Don’t forget there is lots of support available to you, both through CILEX and hopefully your employer too, so please make sure you ask for help if you are going through a difficult time.

Briony: This is something only you can decide. The benefit of qualifications like the CPQ is that you are able to pause them and pick them back up later on. They are designed perfectly for people with busy lives and other commitments.

Some people in your situation may welcome the distraction of work and study, however others will simply find it too much and will not be able to perform to the best of their ability, perhaps causing even more stress.

If the latter applies to you, it would be a sensible decision to put the CPQ on hold whilst you try and navigate your way through your grief. Try to concentrate on work and, when you feel like you have more capacity or head space, pick back up where you left off with the CPQ.

Of course, any pause will delay you completing the qualification but the benefits to your mental health will more than likely outweigh that. Also make sure you speak to your employer about how you’re feeling. They may be able to offer support that you hadn’t considered, such as some time off for your studies, reduced hours or even a reduced caseload.

Q: I’m currently an advanced paralegal working at a large personal injury firm. I recently submitted my portfolio and hope to qualify as a CILEX Lawyer in the near future. After a recent chat with my line manager, it has become clear that my employer expects me to continue working in the paralegal team on qualification and that there is no job as a lawyer for me here. Should I stay loyal to my firm, given it funded my studies, and hope something comes up or is it time to look for a new role?

Briony: This is not an uncommon situation for a lot of CILEX Lawyers. Firstly, do check your contract for any clauses about having to pay back money provided for your studies if you leave within a certain time period. Unfortunately, they are commonplace and would have to be considered against a new job opportunity.

Secondly, be honest with your line manager as to how disappointed you are and perhaps discuss timeframes as to when an opportunity may arise. If they feel they are at risk of losing you entirely, there may be flexibility there.

Whether you consider leaving is really up to you but I would always advise putting yourself and your career first. Yes, it would be a shame to leave given they have paid for your studies but, if they are not giving you an opportunity to put that into practice, you have to do the right thing for you. That will perhaps mean looking for alternative roles that will allow you to put your qualifications to best use and also afford you the salary you deserve for all your hard work.

Louise: Congratulations to getting to this point, I know there is a lot of work that goes into putting the portfolio together. I hope you hear back soon.

The decision about whether to remain in your current position or look for a new one will be yours, but I think it is worth remembering all the hard work you have put in to get to where you are today. If your firm has sponsored you throughout your studies, they will have been aware of your aspirations – indeed they will have signed off the work in your portfolio to say that you are a competent individual.

Firstly, ask for a development conversation with your line manager and try to understand if what they are suggesting is short or long term. If short term, what are the timescales and development opportunities involved?

You have mentioned loyalty, which is a great thing, but they must be prepared to recognise your achievements. Ultimately, they will want to retain staff, especially if they have funded them through their studies, so hopefully a conversation will lead to a lawyer role being offered to you within an acceptable time frame.

It is also worth noting that both you and your firm will have regulatory obligations about explaining yourself and your role to your clients, so you must have a conversation about what that would look like.

Finally, if after these conversations you do not feel your firm is going to offer a role as a lawyer, then you should consider your options for applying elsewhere. You will need to update your CV, develop your brand and an elevator pitch. You can do all of this using your myCareer platform which you can access through your myCILEX account. It also has a cover letter builder that could prove useful.