LinkedIn is the most popular social network for accountancy professionals
Richard Davenall, Area Manager & UK Part-Qualifieds Brand Manager for REED Accountancy shares his tips to use the network to its fullest potential
- LinkedIn presence is vital for aspiring PQs – to be found by current colleagues and prospective employers is important for the promotion and proliferation of your skills and qualifications.
- Networks are critical for professional development – whether it be internal or external to your current employer, building networks enables you to enter dialogue with all manner of likeminded professionals who can provide you with career opportunities.
- Broaden your appeal – your personality can shine through more easily via LinkedIn than through your CV, which is a marginally more formal document for employer review. The simplicity of a well-presented image, alongside demonstration of your career history, is always beneficial.
- Demonstrate your strengths – LinkedIn offers a first-rate medium for illustrating your skills in a softer manner than your CV; it enables you to highlight your achievements and ambitions using key words in prose, combined with indicating your interests through the groups, networks and conversations that you participate within.
- Join accounting groups – build your knowledge of key topics, both general knowledge and economic/accounting in focus, in order to aid the application of your skills to relevant situations and challenges.
- Share engaging content – promote your interests and knowledge through the use of interesting articles, conversation topics and industry news.
- Affiliate yourself to your accounting body – align, converse and engage with content directly relevant to the qualification you are studying, to demonstrate to your audience the interest you hold in the profession.
- Search for your ideal job role – use your network of contacts, groups and interests to find employers and job opportunities that will provide genuine scope for skills and responsibilities development.
- Research interesting and prospective employers – there are few better ways to engage pre-interview with organisations and line managers; check out their backgrounds, interests and future plans to formulate your interview questions.
- Don't miss out – failure to hold a LinkedIn account removes you from a mass of ongoing news, debate and information about your profession, with numerous accounting information being detailed through LinkedIn accounts, Groups and organisations.