LinkedIn is a popular professional social media network that doesn’t need an introduction! If you are not yet on this platform and actively updating your profile regularly you are missing out on career and personal development. In this post I will convince you the importance of engaging with others on this platform and how it can help your career, as well as tips to make your profile stand out.
Why should I be active on LinkedIn?
1. If you are looking for a new job or locum roles
Over the last few years medical professionals have created profiles on LinkedIn and this has been a great way for medical recruitment companies to contact people for a new job or locum opportunity. Even if you are not looking for a job right now it can never hurt to make connections for the future.
2. To showcase your professional achievements
You never know who may be on the lookout for new talent and if you showcase your work on LinkedIn you are more likely to make contacts who can help you progress your career and offer you opportunities.
3. For the entrepreneurs!
If you have a side hustle (may not necessarily be medical) you can also use this platform to grow your business and make contacts that can help you grow. For example, I have displayed the Doctorology Podcast logo as the background image for my LinkedIn profile and often post about the latest articles I have written about.
When should I create a profile?
The short answer is as soon as possible! I would recommend that medical students create a profile as soon as they can and link in with doctors during placements. It is easier to update your progress and achievements over time than trying to add in many years’ worth at once.
Tips to create a profile that stands out
When you create a new account, LinkedIn guides you on what needs to be added to your profile which is easy to follow.
Use your professional name and not abbreviations (it will make it easier for others to find you).
Choose a professional looking photo.
Write a succinct summary about who you are and your aims.
If you are feeling adventurous you can even upload a short video introducing yourself!
Use your current CV to structure previous work experience, education, courses/ qualifications, publications and volunteering experience. For suggestions on how to structure your CV read this article from the Doctorology Podcast here.
Pick your interests (can be a journal that you read, university that you studied at, authors that you like or an influencer that you find inspiring). This demonstrates your interests both in and outside of medicine.
When requesting connections with new contacts (both known and not known to yourself) add a personalised message to make it more likely they will accept it.
Most people have more than one social media account and you may prefer to stick to professional posts while on LinkedIn as it is likely your future employer will review your profile.
Ways to keep active on your profile
Post any recent work achievements including completed courses.
Write about any significant achievements and activities outside of work to showcase your personality.
Congratulate and comment on other people’s achievements and posts in your network, you may find they will likely do the same for you in the future!
Just as we update our CVs regularly it is important to do the same with your LinkedIn profile. I suggest that you complete both at the same time to make it easier.
An important tip to ensure you are active on the platform but not spending all your time on it. A first it can be overwhelming so I would recommend that you allocate 15-30 minutes per week (depending on how much you would like to update) in your calendar and sticking strictly to this.
Follow and interact with inspiring people, journals and organisations.
If you are an educational supervisor you can endorse skills for your trainees (e.g communication skills) which can help with their career progression. Also, trainees can endorse skills for supervisors as well.
Have fun with it!
While it is important to keep your profile professional, there is no harm in the occasional light-hearted post which reflects your personality. There are also online learning modules that is offered by LinkedIn which complement skills that are required for medical professionals, and as a bonus you also receive a certificate of completion to add to your portfolio. There is a free trial for the learning modules and if you would like to continue using it, you can choose the paid subscription for LinkedIn (it has other bonus features in addition). If you prefer the free membership you certainly won’t lose any of the important elements in LinkedIn and would still benefit.
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