For Anne Whatley, business development manager at Guildford-based accountants Roffe Swayne, her network is at the core of her career development. For years, Whatley has been a member of networking groups and has brought in clients worth hundreds of thousands of pounds for her employers as a result.

In addition, when she left her last job, Whatley found a new role with the help of her network.

Not everyone believes that networking is such a positive thing. It’s become something of a buzzword in recent years, but it seems to mean different things to different people.