By Court Wiekenkamp
Court is a Senior Client Partner at Clarity Recruitment and our go-to expert on networking, work-place etiquette and professionalism. Connect with Court on LinkedIn.
We often talk about the importance of networking – building a collection of professional contacts that can help with your career development. More often than not, the focus is on external networking or connecting with people outside of the company or organizations in which you work.
But it’s important that finance professionals also take the time to get to know as many people as possible both vertically and horizontally within their companies. That’s where internal networking comes in.
Who You Should Target
As a finance professional, it is just as important to build relationships on your team, as it is to develop connections with colleagues in other departments. This means getting to know the analysts and bookkeepers, as well as the people you work with cross-functionally. Take some time to think about who may have unique insights or experience that could help your career growth.
How to Get The Ball Rolling
While people in your internal network can be great advocates, they first need to know more about who you are and the quality of work you produce.
To get started, don’t be afraid to ask someone out for lunch or coffee with the intention of learning more about them and their role within the company. You will find that most people enjoy talking about their careers and will want to hear about yours too.
Why it Matters
Once you take the time to get to know your colleagues, you’ll soon learn that developing a strong internal network can:
- Help you push projects forward more effectively
- Create efficiencies in your day-to-day work
- Expand your skill set
- Lead to new opportunities within your firm or another company
Remember, relationships go both ways. Be sure to share your expertise, unique skills and influence when you can – it won’t be forgotten or overlooked.
Maintaining internal relationships takes time and effort. And the truth is, you likely won’t be able to uphold every relationship you develop. The key is to work hard to sustain the ones that mean something to you.
Let us know what you think! At Clarity Recruitment, we’re always interested in hearing from accounting and finance professionals like yourselves, who are ready for new, exciting opportunities that can take their careers to the next level. And be sure to follow us on Twitter (@clarityrecruits) and connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook for more great tips and advice.
