Developing your networking skills to build a successful career in accounting

April 1st 2022 | Posted by Phil Scott

For accounting professionals who want to expand their client base and develop industry contacts, networking is a valuable tool. Now that society has opened up again, this can be done both online and face-to-face.

With this in mind, developing good networking skills is a vital aspect of business life for any accounting professional who aims to be successful. There are several factors that need to be considered when doing this.

Understand what you have to offer

Before taking part in any type of networking, it’s vital to understand what you want to get across to the people you are going to meet. This includes who you are and what your services and skills are.

Having a clear understanding of this before you start allows you to be clear about what you have to offer and what your USP is when it comes to communicating with others.

Put yourself out there

There will be times when people approach you either online or face to face at events. However, you should not simply wait for this to happen. Being proactive in your approach allows you to connect with people who are likely to be of the most value to you and your career.

Carrying our prior research enables you to adopt this proactive approach more easily. Before attending an event, it makes sense to find out if there is anyone attending who you would particularly like to connect with.

If this is the case, it often makes sense to message them before the event. You may also want to participate in online discussions that enable you to start building connections that you can then develop face to face.

Embrace social media

Networking is not restricted to face-to-face events. Social media can be just as valuable as a networking tool as it is for many aspects of growing a business. Platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn are especially popular with accounting professionals looking to make connections.

They provide the opportunity to share knowledge and develop a reputation as a respected professional. This opens up new opportunities including career advancement possibilities.

Know what opportunities exist at an event

Networking potential exists at many different events, from large conventions to smaller dedicated meetings. Smaller events give you the opportunity to connect with people from the local business community thereby giving you access to potential new clients.

Larger events can also provide similar opportunities, but they are often more valuable for other reasons. You have the chance to hear what industry experts have to say and discover the latest accounting developments and news.

To get the best value from an event, it helps to understand what opportunities exist. You can do this by studying the programme for the event and the attendee list. Then, you can tailor your day around where you feel your best opportunities would be.

Taking account of all these factors makes it easier to develop your networking skills as an accounting professional.