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
- 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.
- 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.
- Image – You should always smile and have a straight posture. You want to portray yourself as a confident individual.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.”
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Image –You do not want to slouch or look like you have been having a bad day.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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"
Kind Regards,
Michael Martins
President
Atkinson Professional Accounting Association
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