How to make your LinkedIn stand out as a healthcare professional

LinkedIn is an invaluable tool for healthcare professionals looking to develop their industry knowledge, connect with leaders in the medical space and gain access to new opportunities. Carry on reading to find out how to make your LinkedIn stand out. 

Keywords are your friend 

When looking for potential candidates, employers often use the ‘keyword’ search option on LinkedIn to help narrow their search. It works by scanning your profile (about, skills and experience sections) for ‘keywords’ that match the role requirements. That’s why it’s important to mirror the language and word choice used in the job description. For example, if you’re applying for an occupational therapy role, you might want to highlight your experience completing patient assessments, creating bespoke treatment plans for patients, reviewing ongoing treatment etc, etc.

Network, network, network 

Having a broad range of connections on LinkedIn means you can stay on top of industry news, learn from leaders in the space and gain invaluable insight from like minded professionals. Plus, the larger your network, the more likely you are to be headhunted by a  recruiter as you’ll appear nearer the top of the search results – especially if you have mutual connections. 

Professional picture 

Save your selfies for Instagram! On LinkedIn, recruiters will be looking for someone who looks the part. That means a plain background, smart outfit and absolutely no filters, pets or pictures from last Saturday night. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t show a bit of personality – for starters, make sure you’re smiling because your potential employer isn’t going to want to hire someone who looks like they’d be as much fun to talk to as a brick wall…

Keep it short and sweet

While it is important to elaborate on your experience, don’t go overboard with your descriptions. Your LinkedIn profile should reveal just enough about your professional life and achievements that the employer can decide whether they should reach out/progress your application to the next stage. Anything that you can outline in your cover letter, save for your cover letter!

Make sure your profile is visible 

Last but not least, go to ‘Settings & Privacy’ and under ‘Visibility’ ensure that your profile is public. If you’re currently on the look for a new role, you can also choose ‘open to work’ – this will show on your profile picture as a banner. 

Remember to bookmark this page so you can revisit it when you’re next on the job hunt. We wish you all of the best in your career – give us a shout if you need a hand narrowing down your job search via [email protected].