Redefining Career Growth

Written by: Jaclyn Doherty

For a long time, I thought “career growth” meant new job offers, fancier titles, or someone finally noticing all the hard work I’d been doing quietly in the background.

I kept waiting for the official sign that I was moving up: the salary bump, the performance review, the new nameplate on the door.  The kind of change you could point to and say, “See? I’ve made it.”

But over time, I started noticing growth in the in-between moments:

• When I caught an issue before it left the office, and the attorney didn’t even know it was about to be a problem
• When a new hire turned to me for guidance, and I realized I actually had something valuable to offer
• When I found a better way to organize discovery files, and the whole team started using it

None of that came with a new title.  But it did mean I was growing.

Career growth isn’t always about what’s on your resume.  Sometimes it’s about what happens within your role- how you take ownership, how you show up, how you build trust. You can grow tremendously without ever changing your job title.

Unfortunately, that’s not always how we’re taught to think about progress.  We’re conditioned to look for big markers: the promotion, the corner office, the job listing with a new salary band.  But what about the quiet growth?  What about the ways we evolve professionally when no one’s watching?

Some of my most formative experiences didn’t involve a new position at all.  They came from joining professional communities, having hard conversations, stepping up when no one asked me to, and starting things that didn’t exist yet.

And one of the most valuable steps I ever took to support that kind of growth?

I joined a professional association.

Actually, I joined a few.

I started with a regional group- Paralegal Association of Northern Virginia (PANV)- which led to membership in the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA).  I then earned recognition as a Virginia Registered Paralegal (VARP).  Each step connected me with new resources, new professionals, and a deeper understanding of where this career could take me.

Let me be clear: I didn’t join with a plan to become a leader.  I joined because I felt stuck and wanted more.  I wanted to be around other people who got it- people who were working through the same challenges, looking for the same kind of professional fulfillment, and maybe figuring out the next steps a little faster than I was.

What I found was more than networking and CLE credits.  I found perspective.  Confidence.  And belonging.

Eventually, I realized something else was missing: a space for paralegals and legal assistants within my local bar association.  There were committees for every other part of the legal profession, but not for us.

So instead of waiting for someone to create it, I helped build it.

That’s how the Paraprofessional Committee of the Prince William County Bar Association came to be.  We started small- an idea and a handful of professionals who believed support staff deserved support too.  Since then, we’ve grown into a community focused on mentorship, education, and elevating the voices of those working behind the scenes in every courthouse, conference room, and client meeting.

You don’t have to create a committee to grow in your career.  But you do have to stop waiting.

Not everyone’s path looks the same- and that’s a good thing.  While I didn’t come into this profession through a formal degree program or national certification, many do.  There are excellent certificate programs, associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in paralegal studies, and national exams like the PCCE®, PACE®, CP®, CRP™, or RP® that offer professional recognition.  If that’s the route that feels right for you, go for it. Education and credentials can absolutely open doors, boost your confidence, and help you stand out.  Just know this: they’re tools- not requirements.  You don’t need a specific starting point to build a meaningful, respected career in legal support.  Growth is still within reach, no matter where you begin.

Here’s what I wish I had known earlier:

• You don’t need permission to grow.
• You don’t need a new title to take initiative.
• And you don’t need to stay stuck just because no one has offered you something more.

The legal field can be intense.  Fast-paced.  Rigid, even.  And it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need to be “picked” or promoted before you’re allowed to take up more space.

But the truth is, some of the most impactful career moves start small:

• Volunteering to train a new hire
• Offering to lead a team meeting
• Suggesting a system to fix what’s not working
• Asking for mentorship- or offering it

You don’t have to wait until you’re “ready.” Growth is what gets you there.

So raise your hand.  Join the group.  Sign up for the event.  Ask the question.  Build what’s missing.

Whether you’re in your first year or your fifteenth, there is always room to grow- and you don’t have to do it alone.

Don’t wait for someone to offer you a seat at the table.  Pull up a chair, build the table, and add snacks.

For a long time, I thought career growth meant getting promoted or being handed something “more.”

Now I know that some of the most meaningful growth happens within your role- when you take ownership, speak up, and build something that didn’t exist before.

This blog post is not intended to provide legal advice or substitute for the advice of legal counsel with respect to specific facts and situations. See disclaimer