In today’s workplace, loyalty from and longevity with one company are not as common as they once were. However, there are still many people who hope to land a job with a company and advance up the career ladder there.
How can someone determine if a prospective employer will be willing and able to help their career development? Are there things to look for when researching the company and/or questions to ask that can help them tell if a company is a place that promotes from within and helps employees advance their careers?
No matter how much you want to know about opportunities that lie ahead, it can be challenging to uncover the career path options that might be available during an initial interview, according to Lori Rassas, career coach and author of “The Perpetual Paycheck: 5 Secrets to Getting a Job, Keeping a Job, and Earning Income for Life in the Loyalty-Free Workplace.”
Why?
“Hiring managers expend a lot of resources to recruit top talent and no hiring manager will want to invest in a candidate they believe is using their role as a steppingstone for what’s next,” Rassas explains. “Because of this, candidates should focus on the main goal, which is to land the job offer in the first place.”
That doesn’t mean giving up on getting input about what the future there might hold.
Rassas says asking two questions about the role and the person who previously held it can provide insight about whether the employer offers opportunities for advancement and/or promotes from within — all without giving the impression you won’t be committed to the open position because you’re more interested in moving beyond that role.
–Why is the role vacant? If it’s because the person was promoted, that’s a good sign. If it’s because the person left the company, “that might be a sign of a lack of development opportunities,” Rassas says.
–How long was the previous employee in the position? “If the role has been a revolving door out of the company, it may suggest there are no development opportunities,” Rassas notes. “But if there is a revolving door into other areas of the company, it might suggest the vacant role is intended to be a first step toward more senior positions.”
(SOURCE: TCA)
(Article written by Furore)
