idiom · neutral
get your foot in the door
UK/ɡet jɔːr fʊt ɪn ðə dɔː(r)/US/ɡet jʊr fʊt ɪn ðə dɔr/get·your·FOOT·in·the·DOOR
to obtain an initial opportunity that allows you to start a career or make progress in a company/industry
Examples
“I did a short internship to get my foot in the door of the advertising industry.”
“Volunteering at the museum helped her get her foot in the door for a permanent role.”
“Many graduates take unpaid work just to get their foot in the door.”
Band 8 sentence
“Securing a short internship was essential for me to get my foot in the door of the publishing industry.”
Collocations
- get your foot in the door of + industry/company
- do an internship to get your foot in the door
- get your foot in the door with a small project
Word family
Common mistakes
I put my foot in the door at that company.→I got my foot in the door at that company.
She got her foot into the industry.→She got her foot in the industry.
Say it for a higher band
5start working in→6get an entry-level job→7+get your foot in the door
Synonyms
break into
Easily confused
break into
“She broke into the film industry after winning a small role.”
Related words
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In Work
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