Networking Boot Camp - The Do's and Don'ts

It is that time of year again…what time of year is it you might ask? If you answered back to school time, then you are already not prepared. The thing that is worse than going back to school is the nerve wrecking recruiting season. Recruiting should be the first thing that pops into your head when you hear the word ‘September’. For those of you who do not know, September is what I like to call the ‘busy’ season for recruiting – both for students and representatives from accounting firms. It is during this month when the big accounting firms – BDO, Deloitte, EY, Grant Thornton, KPMG, and PwC – look to find talented undergraduate students to join their companies. If you do not know already, this year, the Big 4 accounting firms will be holding the Joint School Information Session in September and APAA will be hosting Grant Thornton Networking Event.

My First ‘Networking’ Experience

A lot of students do not understand the importance of attending these networking events (such as the Joint School Information Session) and networking with representatives from each of the big firms. The fact is, you will not be able to land a job with these big firms if you do not network. That being said, I always run into students who have never networked before and do not know how to network. I know how that felt. When I was in my first year, I was lucky enough to attend the ICAO CA$H Competition in 2012. This is where I had my first experience with networking and it was the biggest FAIL! After the competition, I was lucky enough to meet recruiters from the big 4 accounting firms. Yet, I did not know what to ask, what to do, or how to properly introduce and excuse myself from a ‘networking circle’. I ended up only talking to Michael Shelsen (EY Recruiter) for most of the night. Michael Shelsen is a hilarious guy and you will hear the most outrageous TRUE stories from that man. If you ever get a few minutes, I always recommend speaking to him.

So you might ask how was this a fail? Do not get me wrong, I met Michael Shelsen that day and I still to this day enjoy speaking to him. Yet, looking back to that event, I did not ask any questions because I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO ASK.  Also, I only spoke to one representative during that event. The point of networking is to talk to as many people as possible from all of the firms. Your goal is to learn as much as possible about each firm’s core values, culture, and even try to get an idea of how a typical work day at the firm looks like. You want to see which firm you can picture yourself working for in the future.

For this reason, I decided to write this blog to show the do’s and don’ts of networking in hopes that you will gain some insight into the world of networking and how to leave a lasting impression on anyone you meet.

Do’s

1. Dress – How you are dressed speaks volumes to the recruiter.
• Men – You have to wear a suit – Black, Grey, or Navy – with a tie and a pocket square (preferred)
• Women – Suit Blazer and dress which is not too revealing.
2. Buy Business Cards – You are in the business world now. You should have your own business card. Make sure they have your contact information. My first business card had a world globe on one side and professional type email, program name, school, and phone number.
3. Image – You should always smile and have a straight posture. You want to portray yourself as a confident individual.
4. Entering a Circle – If you happen to notice that there is a circle around someone, try to kindly ask one of the students to make some space so you can fit in.
5. Too busy? – I recently spoke to a PwC Recruiter who said that if you happen to notice that one representative is busy with too many people, go speak to the other representative. You should talk to as many people as possible instead of just the ‘main’ recruiter. At the end of the event, the ‘main’ recruiter will ask all the other representatives which students they liked. If you were one of 5 people who spoke to the new associate, chances are, that associate will put in a good word for you instead of trying to make a good impression with the main recruiter who spoke to over 200 students.
6. Introduction - When entering into a circle, be sure to make your presence known. If you enter into a circle, you have to use your judgment to know when it is the right time to introduce yourself. If a recruiter is in the middle of a story or answering a question, wait until they pause in order to introduce yourself. Once they finish answering, Say something like “I just wanted to introduce myself…My name is (Insert Name) and I am a (number) year student from (School name) University.”
7. Handshake – At the introduction point, you reach out for a handshake. Handshake is extremely important. You should give them a firm handshake. This might sound ridiculous but even getting a friend and practicing how to give a handshake can be beneficial. The ‘web’ between the thumb and index finger of your hand should touch the web between the thumb and index finger of the other person.
8. Asking a question – The hardest part about being in a circle is finding the right time to ask a question. When the recruiter ‘pauses’ for a slight second, that is when you should ask a question. A lot of times, students are so eager to ask a question that they rudely interrupt the recruiter. The key is to identify the right time to ask a question. This skill is only gained through practice. You should always ask questions that you are genuinely interested in. Try to ask question about the firm’s values, culture etc... and how these key elements are demonstrated within the firm.
9. Exiting/Excusing yourself from a circle – This sometimes is hard to do. Recruiters love to see someone who can properly excuse themselves from the circle. Be completely honest with them. When they pause for a break, tell them “It was great meeting/seeing you. You clarified a lot of my questions/concerns. I am going to go speak to other representatives. Do you mind exchanging information?” At this point you will exchange business cards. You will then say thank you, and give them another handshake and leave.
10. Following up with recruiters – When the event is over, be sure to follow up with the recruiters in the next couple of days. Grab all the business cards you collected and send an email to all the representatives expressing your thanks. Just say “Hi, it is (name)  from (School Name) University. It was really nice to meet/see you at (Event name) .” Also say something so that they remember who you are. For example, if you talked to them about soccer, mention that you enjoyed the conversation you had about soccer. You can also take this opportunity to ask any question you might have. It is a great way to get a reply from the recruiter and keep the email exchanges going between you and that recruiter. If the recruiter is on twitter, instead of sending an email, you can also send them a thank you tweet.
    

Dont’s

1. Dress – Do not wear jeans or clothing that is too revealing. KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL. You do not want to look like you are going to a club. You will leave a bad impression on representatives and if I was you, I would prefer to stay home than to purposely go to a networking event wearing jeans or other casual clothes.
2. Business Cards – I would refrain from putting a picture of yourself and year of study. If you really want to put a picture of yourself, please get a professional picture taken by a photographer. I would not include year of study because you would have to replace your card every year to update the year of study.
3. Image –You do not want to slouch or look like you have been having a bad day.
4. Entering a Circle – Do not try to shove your way into a circle especially when they are too full. Go to another representative and come back when the person is less busy.
5. Introduction – Do not interrupt the recruiter to introduce yourself. Also do not tell them your whole life story as part of your introduction. Keep it short and sweet.
6. Handshake –You do not want to break the persons hand by giving a strong hand shake but at the same time, you do not want to give them a flimsy handshake.
7. Language - I will admit that I love to use slang when I am with my friends. But when you are in a networking event, please keep in mind that you should use proper grammar and most importantly, do not swear. You want to demonstrate that you are well mannered. Do not be surprised if you encounter some recruiters who like to swear.
8. Asking a question – DO NOT ASK ACCOUNTING QUESTIONS. I cannot emphasize this more. Any recruiter will tell you that they HATE when students ask technical accounting questions. Do not go ask about the firm’s financial reports etc… This is probably one of the BIGGEST mistakes students make because they want to show firms that they are smart and knowledgeable about the technical accounting. Furthermore, avoid asking questions too personal about the recruiter. It is fine to ask about their experiences or where they graduated. If you have spoke to them multiple times then yes, you can ask them questions that might be a bit more personal but still use discretion. 
9. Exiting/Excusing yourself from a circle – Do not leave the circle without excusing yourself. It is extremely rude. You should thank the recruiter for taking their time to answer your questions.
10. Following up with recruiters – Do not send the exact same email to multiple representatives especially from the same firm. You can use the same layout but always try to personalize the email to each representative. It shows that you really put an effort and you care. It also allows them to remember who you are since you personalized it to include what you guys possible spoke about. Furthermore, you would always run the risk of them finding out that you just sent them all a generic email or you accidentally forgot to change certain words of the generic email. I have read about situations in which a person would forget to change a critical detail in the generic email that they sent. For example, they would send an email to ‘Bob’ although the email says “Dear Joe"

Well that is it, you now have the tools to make a lasting impression on anyone you meet. I wish you all the best in the upcoming recruiting season. In the mean time, be sure to read Shadib Newaz blog post about How to prepare for September Recruitment

Kind Regards,

Michael Martins
President
Atkinson Professional Accounting Association

How to prepare for September Recruitment 2013

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer and making the most out of it considering how we all will be craving for it in about 15 weeks.

We are also approaching 2013 fall recruitment and this blog hopes to help you prepare for it. But even if things may not happen as you would have hoped for, I will also go over what you can do over fall 2013 & winter 2014 in order to get back on track in another blog at a later date.

It is a nerve-wrecking time of the year but believe me that many like you are on the same boat. So first thing first, throw out all the preconceived notions, paranoia and fear that you may have and approach the recruitment season with confidence and the desire to do your absolute best in order to secure your dream job! Once you really believe that the comfort zone that you currently dwell in doesn’t really exist and that there is more to life, then things will really start to work to your favour.
So with that, here are the key aspects to focus over the next month:

1.    Brush up your Cover Letter: A cover letter is your one page mean to really tell the recruiters why you instead of the other applicants. This may be really daunting but start on it right away. Let your personality shine through your work, volunteer experience and more. Tell them how all of your experiences have given you the highly sought after softs skills such as leadership, communication, interpersonal, organizational, team-building skills and more. Make sure you follow the proper standard and salutation when putting it together along with correct date, address of the person you are writing to etc. Some may want you to direct the CL to a particular recruiter while others may require a generic approach. Make sure you do you research and know their respective requirements.

Also try to incorporate why you would be a great fit for the firm you are applying to. Do not choose the generic route but rather genuinely convey what you enjoyed about them and how you can further add value to their organization.

Finally after you have a draft, do plenty of proof-reading with friends, career centre or professionals you may know until you are confident with the CL. A simple spelling mistake or grammatical error can really sabotage your chances.

2.    Perfecting your Resume: Another key component for your fall application. Make sure to keep it to a page and a maximum of 2 pages. Go for the latter only if you have solid information that requires more than a page. As with cover letter, make sure it has no grammatical error or spelling mistake. Also do not just list your experience. Try to clearly but briefly explain how they are related to the job you are applying for. Make sure you clearly mention your GPA (even though a more extensive version would be present under your transcripts) and expected date of graduation should be clearly mentioned.

3.     Social Media presence: By now you should be a master when it comes to social media. However if you are not, here are a few tips to really improve your online presence:

• Facebook: Some of the things we share over here can easily cross into the territory of being, “too much.” It can be obscene, offensive, lack professional attitude….you get the gist. So brush up your Facebook by privatizing contents that can do more harm than good. Also keep away from complaining.
• Twitter: As much as many just love to hate this platform, one simply cannot underestimate its power. All of the Big 5 firms have majority of their recruiters now using twitter in the hopes to connect with students like you and also represent their firm. Do not take it personally if you do not get a follow back, what matter is that you get such an amazing platform to communicate and also show who you are. If you are the complaining type on social media then maybe twitter is not for you. Remember that social media is representing you to a much larger audience than you could imagine. Being a little careful would not harm anyone.
• LinkedIn: This is your professional networking site that you should really look after. Put up a professional picture, explain what you have done so far in your university life (Because anything before that may seem a bit outdated) and then go onto connect with professionals you have met during networking events.

4.    Reconnect: with Professionals that you have met in the past. Start with a simple email asking about their summer. This time of the year is less stressful, so ask them if they could possibly meet for a coffee. If they cannot find time, do understand that they have hectic schedule regardless of the time of the year. If they are able to meet then really do your research about the person, the firm they are working at and ask questions you do not have answers for.

5.    Final Preparation Tips:

• Connect with friends who are also in Accounting. It’s always nice to go out to events together considering how you will have someone you know be present with you. However if I were you, I would rather go out to the events alone and make new friends. It will really help you to get out of your comfort zone.
• Dress/Suit Up like you are already a professional. Being well-put together will build your confidence and exude the same sentiment with your peer and professionals at the networking events.
• Make sure you are aware about all the necessary deadlines for fall applications for each of the Big 5 firms and other Chartered Accountancy Training Offices. You do not want to miss out on any of them.
• Create your own luck by doing the best you can. Do not leave out anything on chance. Especially if it is something you can directly control. I wish you all the very best and know that everything happens for a reason and a mere setback is not worth putting yourself down. It’s rather an opportunity to put up a fight and making yourself that much stronger!

Connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter if you have any queries or email me at shadib.newaz@yuapaa.com.

Shadib Bin Newaz
Senior Board of Ambassador
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO)
On how to Become a CA
Become a University Ambassador Now!
Join APAA Today!

The Biggest Night of Them All – CA Night

After weeks of planning, organizing and a lot of stressing, it finally was time for what can easily be described as the biggest student and recruiter networking event organized by a student run organization at York University, Atkinson Professional Accounting Association’s CA Night.

The 4^th Annual CA night heated up Thursday with this year's array of ambitious students, hungry to gain valuable knowledge not printed in any textbook. Thursday was their lucky night, as they were greeted with the presence of representative belonging to firms of notable names and gigantic presence in the Assurance, Auditing and Tax industry, Deloitte & Touché, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Ernst and Young, KPMG and Grant Thornton.

As the night proceeded under the watchful eye of Shervin Mohabbati (President of Apaa 2012-13), Ammar Faizy (VP Operation 2012-13), Leo Wang (VP Marketing 2012 -13), Nina Abramova (VP Finance 2012-13) and other Executive members, students were treated with the presence of many notable personalities from these firms who have tons of experience and knowledge to enlighten the young and fresh minds of York students seeking similar opportunities. Not only did the night promise senior members from 5 most notable firms in the industry, but also current and ex students of York University, who are currently employed by one of these firms to provide invaluable advice regarding courses, professors, networking and share their own experience of going through the recruiting season. This list included:

Paul Da Costa – Tax Analyst at Deloitte & Touché | ex-President - APAA

Jehangir Pocha – Senior Manager at Deloitte & Touché | York Alumni.

Simone Novik – Forensic Accountant at Deloitte & Touché | ex-Operations Director

Saad Shaik – Senior (Audit) at Deloitte & Touché | York Alumni

Lana Kroupnikov – Senior Tax Analyst at Deloitte & Touché | York Alumni

Teresa Nguyen - Senior (Audit) at Deloitte & Touché | York Alumni

Rukie Liyanage – Staff Accountant II at Deloitte & Touché | York Alumni

Ricky Singh – Staff Accountant at Deloitte & Touché | York Alumni (ex TA at York University)

David Petricca – Staff Accountant at PwC | ex-VP Marketing – APAA

Nina Abramova – Staff Accountant at PwC | VP Finance - APAA

Arash Razaghi – Senior Associate at PwC | ex-President of APAA

Janelle Yu – Staff Accountant at Grant Thornton | ex-VP Operations - APAA

As the end of the event creped closer and everyone anticipated the night to be almost over, they were introduced to the showstopper of the night, the pride of the APAA Communications Team, the absolutely amazing APAA 2012-2013 Promotional Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMgHC9m4pJM&feature=youtu.be.

With over 300 students and 5 of the biggest firms all underneath one roof, the APAA managed to pull off all in all a successful event, which provided great opportunities for students to learn, network and hopefully develop a career. I don’t know about you, but I cant wait to see what APAA brainstorms for next year. I guess we can only wait and watch.

- Haider Imam -

Shervin Mohabbati, Senior ICAO Ambassador, shares with us his experience at APAA's CA Networking Night

Finally the time has arrived, September 13, 2011 was here and the Atkinson Professional Accounting Association (APAA) was going to experience another successful “CA Night”.

CA Night was a great event for both firms and students to get to know each other better and make some connections before application deadlines.

We knew it was going to be a busy night so we divided responsibilities amongst executives by assigning a couple of executives to each firm. This way, we were able to greet firm’s representatives once they got to campus, help them out to find the Underground and give them a hand with set up and wrapping up at the end. I was really excited as I knew it was going to be one of the biggest events we have ever held. Before going to the underground I met with other executives at the APAA office and that was when I realized we were going to expect more than 170 students. That was already beginning to sound like a huge success. I arrived at Underground to begin set up, and students started to show up around 5:30.

We had five firms attending the event. Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PwC and Grant Thornton. Each of these firms had between 5-12 representatives in attendance.  All of the representatives  were done setting up their booths and banners by 5:45 and they were waiting for students to arrive.

The event started right at 6pm and students got the chance to meet and network with different members of each firm.

Great food and non-alcoholic beverages were provided so students and representatives could enjoy themselves while networking. Time flew by and by the time I realized, it was 7:40 and only few minutes to the end of the event. It was great seeing how members and representatives were talking about different subjects through out the night.

At 7:55, Paul Da Costa (President of APAA) made a speech. He welcomed all the members and representatives and thanked them for making this event a great one. He invited everybody to watch the 2011-2012 APAA Promotional Video. The end of the video marked the end of an outstanding evening. Members said their goodbyes and representatives started to wrap things up. I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the whole night and I am sure firm representatives as well as all the members had a great time too. Overall, it was an amazing event and I would like to thank the representatives from each firm as well as our invaluable members for attending. I also want to thank the APAA Executive Council for organizing such a great event. It was a huge success!

Simone Novik, Operations Director, shares with you her experience at E&Y's inaugural Emerging Leaders Summit:

Wow, who would have thought that in three days so much could be seen and done. The Ernst and Young emerging leaders summit was one of the most educational and amusing experiences I have had to date. The trip started on Wednesday June 22^nd when we flew out from Pearson and arrived in Washington. There was no down time once we arrived at the Boulder conference centre, we were immediately greeted by Ernst and Young facilitators and were emerged into a mix and mingle session of 250 people.

I must say that in meeting all the students from the States it was awesome to see that even though we were from different countries we all were able to network with ease as there was a certain level of comfort when finding we shared familiar ideas and goals. After the mix and mingle we were to attend our first seminar that included a fabulous dinner and several amazing speakers such as the panel of auditors and tax team members that were part of the team working on the Coca Cola company as well as professors from the University of Miami, Dr Brian Ballou and Dr Dan Heitger. After dinner we had some more ice breakers that included karaoke, Wii, and other games, and I must say people can really karaoke, they got me so into it myself that I had lost my voice. Then we all slowly headed off to bed as the next day would be filled with various activities.

In the morning following an amazing breakfast of everything you could desire we had Nancy Altobello, Americas Vice Chair, People and Beth Brooke, Global Vice Chair, Public Policy, discuss who Ernst and Young is recruiting and how they make Ernst and Young fit with your life. Then we were split up and attended 3 workshops that were split into two that day and one on the Friday.

The workshops were the Art of Communication, Enhancing your Global Mindset and Integrity, Transparency and Leadership. In the Art of communication we were shown how what we say verbally is merely 7% of an interaction and that body language and delivery were much more predominant. In Enhancing a Global Mindset we were shown that the economy is quickly moving to one global economy and to succeed one must not only understand this fact but embrace it by learning customs in other countries as well as the various differences in cultures. Finally in Integrity, Transparency and Leadership we were shown through case analysis that there is no real black and white in the business world and as future leaders we will need to know how to rationalize and sift through the grey areas to be the best possible leaders we can be.

Thursday evening we travelled to the state capitol and had our own version of the amazing race. We were given 7 photos and we had to determine where they were taken and answer trivia regarding those particular landmarks. I still have blisters from the 3 hours we spent racing around the city. With that the next day followed with which ever last seminar you had not yet attended and a closing ceremony which included a speech from Jim Turley, CEO of EY and his views on the economy and how to succeed within it.

With that as though with the blink of an eye three amazing days had past and it was time to go home. Goodbyes were said and everyone headed their separate ways. This experience was truly invaluable, the recruiters I met were so real and insightful it was inspiring, the speakers were so successful it was motivating and the students were so welcoming and friendly that it made it fun. I would do the trip over again in a heartbeat and I recommend all to apply for the next one, it is an experience true like no other.

- Simone Novik, Operations Director 2011-2012

Ernst and Young

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Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 141,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

At Ernst & Young, we support you in achieving your unique potential wherever you are in the world – both personally and professionally. We give you stretching and rewarding experiences that keep you motivated, working in an atmosphere of integrity and teaming with some of the world's most successful companies. And while we encourage you to take personal responsibility for your career, we support you in your professional development in every way we can. You enjoy the flexibility to devote time to what matters to you, in your business and personal life. At Ernst & Young, we know it's your point of view, energy and enthusiasm that make the difference.