Your career questions answered

Q: I work as a paralegal specialising in family law. I’m coming to the end of the Advanced Paralegal stage of the CPQ but I’m doing much the same work as I was when I was studying for the Foundation stage. I want to show progression, so how do I get more exposure to different aspects of family law?

Briony: I would certainly flag this with your manager. They may not realise how much your knowledge of the subject has advanced and how capable you now are. You need to make sure you are highlighting your new skills and selling yourself.

Your firm will no doubt benefit if you are now able to work on different aspects of family law, so be sure to express your interest in getting involved in a wider range of work. You should also check in regularly with fee-earners on your team to see if they have anything you can assist with.

When you have this conversation with your manager, make it clear that, when you study the CPQ, you are required to evidence the application of various areas of law in your professional experience and so will need the exposure. Afterwards, diarise a follow-up meeting for a couple months’ time so you can assess whether the situation has improved.

Most firms would welcome you showing a willingness to learn and progress your career, so don’t be afraid of having these conversations.

Louise: Firstly, you need to consider whether the framework is in place for you to work with others to get the exposure you want. If it is, then you need to have a conversation with your manager.

Use the time to emphasise your development so far and highlight the benefits to your firm of supporting you to gain the exposure you want. That might include supporting lawyers who work in those areas and building up to taking over some of that work in the future. Remember to sell yourself. Getting additional experience on your way to qualification will mean you will be able to develop and bring in more fees for the firm.

You might decide to raise this in a usual one-to-one or ask for a separate meeting. Either way, make it clear what you want to discuss beforehand. The key is preparation. Be clear on what you want to achieve and how it can benefit both you and the firm. Be ready to talk about the practicalities. Assuming they are willing, you can then develop a plan of how you can work together to make it happen.

Q: Six months ago, my old manager – who I got on well with – left the business. I don’t seem to have got off to a good start with her replacement. She has made a lot of changes to how we work, some criticism has come my way and I feel a bit sidelined and lacking in support. It’s knocking my confidence and I’ve started to think about finding a new role. Should I move on or try to improve my current situation?

Louise: I am sorry that you feel this way. There are certainly some things you can do to address the situation which you should explore before looking for a new role. The change of boss aside, just remember what attracted you the firm in the first place, and whether that still works for you.

Your new manager has introduced changes, and it can be easy to be overwhelmed by that. You should take some time to understand the purpose behind those changes. If you are clear on why they are happening, it will be easier to get behind them and see how you can make a positive impact.

It is early days, so there is still an opportunity for you to develop a good working relationship with your manager. You need to accept that they have different ideas and priorities, and also that they are starting a new role and need an acclimatisation period.

I think you need to organise a time to speak to your manager. It may be that she is intending to have a similar discussion with you, but be proactive and suggest that, now she has had the time to settle into the role, you think it would be beneficial to have a discussion to work out expectations.

Explain that in order for you to perform your best, you need to know what she expects from you. You can discuss your responsibilities, targets, goals and how she can support you. The conversation can encompass how you can communicate with each other, which will help to develop an open, collaborative environment.

It may be difficult to initiate the conversation, but it must be better than leaving things as they are and your work situation continuing to have an impact on your self-confidence. Give this a go and review the situation in a few months’ time.

Briony: There is no harm in trying to address the issue with your manager. I would advise speaking to them first and letting them know you feel like you could do with more support.

Once they understand how you feel, they may well put measures in place that make you feel happier and more comfortable. Your working relationship may well improve.

That said, there is nothing wrong with looking at other options especially if you are unhappy. It is always worth speaking to a recruiter and seeing what’s out there on the job market. Even if this means biding your time looking for the right role, it is always a good idea to be open to new opportunities and to prioritise your wellbeing. A new job, with proper training and support, could be exactly what you need to build your confidence back up.