The sector of public practice, like so many others, is one where new business and new career opportunities can be won through the art of networking.
We wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s not what you know but who you know, what you know as an accountant is extremely important! But being well connected and known in your professional field (as long as it’s for all the right reasons) will usually benefit your career progress and your ability to procure new business and impress your existing employers.
But for many of us, the prospect of networking and making small talk with strangers will send shivers down our spines. Social anxiety is a big deal and effects a huge chunk of the population. Imposter syndrome is also very common. But if you find yourself with the opportunity to be in a room of potential employers, new clients or prospective professional influencers, chances are you’re absolutely entitled to be there and it’s worth working on your networking skills to make sure that you’re making the most of these situations and crucially, learning to relax and enjoy them!
So in today’s blog we’re offering 5 top tips to help you master the art of networking and advance your career.
1. Preparation
If you get into the mindset that networking is an integral part of your job and your career potential, your mindset will change and you’ll accept that you need to put a bit of thought and time into preparing.
So, every time you head into an event where you’ll need to make small talk with fellow professionals, make sure you have four or five conversation starters ready to go. Avoid heavy topics like hardcore politics (news is fine) or religion and only use the weather as an absolute last resort.
Perhaps there has been some industry news recently that your peers are likely to have some thoughts on. Maybe you can share an anecdote (anonymous of course) about a recent client encounter that will break the ice and make someone laugh. The main thing is to be ready with these topics at the forefront of your mind so that you don’t panic and fill awkward moments with something really inappropriate.
2. Ask open questions
Once you’ve broken the ice, start asking open questions and build upon them, showcasing a genuine interest in what the person has to say.
Start with ‘What brings you here today?’
Then build on their answers with questions like…
‘Have you been working there long?’
‘Is that a challenge you find you’re facing often?’
‘Is that working well for you?’
3. Actively listen
Good small talkers make a conversation flow naturally by pulling more and more information out of the person or people they are talking to and actively listening. If you find yourself busy thinking about what you’re going to say next whilst the person you’re talking to is answering your last question, you’re not actively listening and that will be noticed and the conversation will be stilted.
Active listening means you’re not drawing the question back to you and that’s a really important skill. We all will have endured conversations where someone interrupts people who are speaking or brings every topic of conversation back to their own experiences or opinions and that’s the absolute opposite of active listening. To get it right, dig deeper into what the person is saying and try to understand their motivations and show an authentic interest.
There’s some useful tips on active listening in our archive.
4. Big yourself up when appropriate
Though the tip above is really important, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take the time to share your experiences, thoughts and opinions too. Just wait until you’re asked and know when you’ve had your fair share of the spotlight and then turn the focus back to someone else in the conversation.
If you’ve been active listening for a long period of time and are never given the chance to turn the conversation back to you, it might be time to skip to the next tip and move on to chat to someone else.
5. Be ready to end well
Exiting a conversation is often something we all dread and if we’ve had bad experiences of this, it’s likely to further feed our social anxiety. But there is lots that you can do to facilitate a natural end to your small talk without it feeling awkward. Though heading to get a drink or nip to the restrooms is an easy way out, you can do better!
Remember that if the conversation has been fairly shared and useful, it’s likely all parties will know it’s coming to its conclusion. Prepare your small talk participants for the fact you’re ready to exit by stating the fact. Here’s some examples.
‘There’s a few people over there that I’m keen to meet before lunch, but before I go, tell me how I can find out more about that product that you spoke about before?’
‘I’ve set myself a target of meeting 5 new contacts today, but before I move on, let’s exchange contact details so we can chat further.’
‘You were speaking before about wanting to learn more about developing your audit exposure, I’ve just spotted someone I know that might have some ideas, shall we head over and I can introduce you?’
These 5 top tips will leave you in a better position to work on your networking skills. It’s an important art to master if you see yourself progressing right to the highest echelons of your potential as an accountant!
But before we go, here’s a few common myths and truths about networking that you should know!
Networking myths
- There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a coffee alone for a few minutes whilst you read the room, compose yourself and look for a friendly face to introduce yourself to.
- You’re not the only one who finds it hard and a great ice breaker might be to open up about how tricky you find starting conversations. Vulnerability is power!
- Taking advantage of the free bar won’t make networking easier! If anything you’re more likely to suffer with post event anxiety worrying about what you said after a few drinks!
- There’s nothing wrong with being an introvert and finding that networking doesn’t come easily to you. That’s very common with accountants! But as with all professions you do need to push yourself outside of your comfort zone from time to time. Just take time afterwards to recover with some alone time.
Networking truths
- Practice makes perfect! The more you do it, the less of a big deal it will be and the more natural your approach to it will be.
- Be nice to those above and below you – don’t move on from a conversation because you don’t feel the person you’ve met can offer you anything. You never know who you might come to need at a later date and getting a reputation for being impolite or stepping over others to succeed will certainly hamper your career potential.
We really hope you found this article helpful and that you’re ready to approach your next networking event with a more confident mindset. Don’t forget we’re in the business of career counselling, not just recruitment. If you enjoyed this blog, why not dive into our Candidates’ Hub to see what more you can learn.
