How important is networking today

In today’s competitive business environment, professionals need to demonstrate that they bring more to the organisation than just their qualifications and technical skills.

Professionals are now expected to take proactive position within the company, partnering with stake holders to develop best practice and improve it’s commercial proposition.

Networking is a really good way for professionals to stay in touch with changing industry standards and trends. It will also improve your profile within the company, and help you build relationships more effectively with other parts of the business.- Nic Sephton-Poultney, Country Manager at Robert Walters.

The easiest way to start is through regular networking. The more people you know and the more they know exactly what you do, the easier it will be to build good working relationships and expand your professional development. 

While it may be intimidating at first, these three simple tips can help you get noticed:

Build relationships with colleagues

Think about exactly how you fit in your organisation, what do you do, the scope of your role and where your work will bring you in to contact with other parts of the business. Consider:

• Who do I work with the most?
• Which other teams/individuals would I get value out of working with?
• Who do I know much about?

Building relationships with colleagues and key stakeholders in the office through team building exercises, charity days, corporate sporting groups and team drinks are all easy ways to get to know them and the more you make yourself involved, the easier it will become.

Join professional networking groups

There are a huge range of professional associations and bodies which hold conferences, seminars and other events that you can attend.

Meeting professional associations and bodies which hold conferences, seminars and other events that you can attend.

Trade magazines and professional organisations are often a great first place to start and they tend to run events on a regular basis throughout the year. Making contact with your graduate or alumni groups is also a great way to stay connected to the greater industry.

Put time and effort into networking

Meeting accountancy professionals from outside of your organisation can be a fantastic way to stay abreast of trends and meeting key influencers within the field.

With networking, the more time and effort you invest in it, the better you return. And, if it’s tricky to begin with, remember that other people are there for the same reason and in the same situation.

Just remember that some of the most important opportunities can present themselves at unexpected times, and the more you open yourself to professional exchanges, the more you will find opportunities for career advancement.

For further career advice, please contact:

Nic Sephton-Poultney, Country Manager (South Africa)
Email: nic.sephton-poultney@robertwalter.com
Tel: +27 (0)11 881 2414