The City is a small place, so networking is a useful and important skill to develop if you are planning to embark upon a City career. As a student, networking can be essential for sourcing unique insights and important information about industries and specific firms, and as you progress through your career, networking can equip you with the contacts and information you need to win work, capitalise upon opportunities and transition into more senior roles.
Your “network” is probably far broader than you may think. It theoretically includes your family, friends of family members, your childhood friends, your school friends and university peers (including those in other years and even alumni), your tutors, lecturers and career advisers, and the people you’ve met at networking events and during insight days and internships.
When you start work, your network will expand almost immediately to include the colleagues in your office. Moreover, as you carry out more and more work, your network will further expand to include colleagues in other departments and international offices, representatives from the firm’s clients, and individuals from firms that work alongside (or opposite) your firm. This might include bankers, accountants, consultants, regulators and an almost infinite range of other stakeholders.
However, making a new connection is one thing. Maintaining and strengthening these relationships is a whole other challenge. It’s therefore important that you develop your networking skills from an early stage.