By this time in your career, you should have advanced further. What has slowed down your career progression?
Cardinal Health believes in building talent and has many programs to help its employees succeed. They provide training and development to enhance and add new skills, mentorship, leadership development programs, and tuition reimbursement to encourage employees to continue learning and growing professionally. When the interviewer sees slow career progression on your resume, they will immediately want to determine whether this is by your own choice, outside circumstances, or if you are unmotivated to grow professionally. Interviewers understand that careers are put on hold to raise children, care for a sick loved one, and further education. They want to see that your career progression was for a valid reason and not because you lack the motivation to grow professionally.
"I agree with you that my career progression has been slower than some. You will see that between 2001 and 2009, I worked for the same company without an increase in my job title. The company was too small to offer a promotion to me as the next level was ownership, and the business wasn't for sale. After this, from 2009 to 2012, I was on leave as I needed to care for my ailing parents. The growth since returning to work has been steady, but those years were a bit of a standstill for me. I am ready to spring into action now and forge ahead in my career."
"Early in my career, I was left to care for an elderly, sick parent. Her care required more of me than expected, so I allowed my career to sit and wait. I am happy with that decision. Spending those last precious moments with a loved one is worth the setback."
If your career has progressed slower than you wish, you should be honest with the interviewer when discussing this. Describe if you are advancing as quickly as you would like because you wanted to take the time to gain experience or if your career progression was put on hold due to extenuating circumstances.
"I agree, my career progression was slower than many of my colleagues, but I am fine with that. I took six months off after having my daughter to spend quality time with her. Then, I returned to school to complete my bachelor's degree to fast-track my career. So, during that time, I was not actively applying to managerial or leadership positions because I wanted to focus on my studies. Now that my daughter is older and I have obtained my degree, I am ready to progress my career and work in a leadership position."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
I'm not sure by what bar you measure how far a person should have advanced in a career. I would say I've moved along at about the right pace, and grown as a person and professional each step of the way.
Jaymie's Feedback
This can be a tricky question. If you have not moved into a management or leadership role, it's fair to explain your reason, especially if you did not have an interest or passion for that career path.
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