LinkedIn for Scientist

Words by Matteo Tardelli
Edited by Laurie Herviou & Ipshita Zutshi

​Let’s face it! As Scientists in academia and PhD holders we are often very bad at marketing ourselves with prospective bosses or recruiters. Here’s where Linkedin comes in handy. 

LinkedIn is generally a medium rarely utilized by PhDs, who prefer instead to create a ResearchGate profile. However, although the latter is useful to get stats, readers and citations on your work, it does not help much if you are seeking a new employment.

Credits @viennascience

​Do you not have LinkedIn yet? Here are some tips on how to build a successful LinkedIn profile for Scientists and hopefully to get recruiters to find you:

1. Start by creating a solid LinkedIn profile completing all the sections to reach the “All Star” status.
2. Upload a nice and professional headshot, no pipettes, agarose gels - just yourself smiling at the camera! 
3. Write an impactful headline, highlighting your value in 1-2 job titles or areas you are interested in that align with the roles you would like to get. Titles like researcher and postdoctoral fellow are probably not meaningful enough for an industry role for instance.
4. In the About section put together a nicely spaced paragraph with key competencies in bullet points, adding contact details (to make it easier for people/recruiters to get in touch with you). Use numbers to quantify your achievements, for instance ‘published 3 papers in Nature or won a grant for 400k$ of new research funding’.
5. Same applies to Experience, spaced bullet points with relevant experience. I personally like to make things a bit funnier by inserting thumbnails of my publications or relevant websites (often LinkedIn does not work well with this function and things look unfortunately a bit sloppy). Images and playful elements increase the amount of time people spend on your profile, increasing overall visibility on the platform.
6. Add your education at the bottom with thesis keywords.
7. Under accomplishments: don’t forget to add publications, again it’s a bit ugly-looking on LinkedIn - I know. It is also a great idea to add collaborators (if they are on LinkedIn). 
8. Interact! – by posting, linking and commenting on other people’s posts and most importantly being consistent with it. In fact, commenting is a way to amplify your visibility and build relationships: starting a meaningful conversation is the ultimate goal! The platform will reward your profile once recruiters look for candidates with appropriate keywords.
9. Overall I believe that personal branding needs a lot of attention here, as it makes opportunities come your way (in-bound) and networking simpler giving you a purpose. In fact the idea is building your profile as a trusted friend and a go-to expert, you're not there to sell
10. Lastly, remember that LinkedIn is a place to build relationships! Connect to people you talk to in real life. However if that is not possible (especially in these particular and unprecedented times we are living in), make sure you personalize your invite with a note, briefly explaining the reason why you wish to connect.

 
I know this takes time and effort, but you’ll notice the difference in the first weeks if done right as people tend to interact with you more and more. My profile is far from being great, I must say, but by listening to experts, attending seminars and career fairs (often organized by INet-NYC) - you can slowly get an idea on how to work best with it.

Here are some additional resources you might find useful.

People to follow on social media:
Tracy Costello, PhD
Joanne Kamens, PhD 
Kirsty Bonner

Associations to join/follow:
Cheeky Scientist
National Postdoctoral Association
Smart Tribe

Interesting career websites:
Next Scientist
Biomed Badass
Inside Higher Ed

Books to read:
Next generation PhD by Melanie V. Sinche (2016)
The PhD Career coaching guide by Tina Persson (2020)
The Squiggly Career by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis (2020)