Last Updated Feb 2013
LinkedIn, a great social networking website, offers many features that professionals can take advantage of. Many people have created an account but some of them seem to fail in making use of all the applications and maximizing their LinkedIn network. Jump start your therapy career by building your network and developing relationships through this professional site.
Follow these 7 tips in using Linkedin effectively to help you grow professionally and land a perfect therapy job:
- Every 2 to 3 days, post updates or marketing messages about yourself or on what you are doing currently via the "Network Activity" box.
- Completing your LinkedIn profile can be as good as having an outstanding resume. Make sure they're both connected to each other and constantly being updated.
- Search for organizations, therapy clinics, and health agencies. There are above 2 million companies that have LinkedIn pages. Take time to follow their pages and explore what they offer. Join groups which interest you and participate in the discussions for more online exposure and to keep up-to-date with the industry news and trends.
- Request for recommendations from people who have worked with you or who can guarantee your capabilities. Ask them to write about your dedication towards patient care. Be kind to others as well and write a recommendation for them to keep the connection stronger between the both of you.
- Go through your list of network connections. Your contacts can be a huge support in job searching and in reaching your professional goals as a therapist. By using the "tags" feature, you can easily organize them according to their profession or however you'd prefer to search them quickly later on.
The "People Search" feature can give you an idea of your rank. Conduct a search using keywords that describes your occupation. You can start with Occupational Therapist in Dallas, TX. See if your name is included in the Top 10. This gives you an idea on where you stand and what else you can do to get a higher rank.
- LinkedIn can customize a public profile link for you. Paste the URL on your therapist resume so the employers and hiring managers can take a look at your work recommendations, skills and expertise.
When using LinkedIn, remember to stay professional and not use it for personal posts. Another great resource for enhancing your therapy career and your relationship with other professionals is PutMeBackTogether. Visit the job board with over 1,000 opportunities. PutMeBackTogether's therapy forum can give you a chance to share your views on various topics related to education, career and others.
Join PutMeBackTogether's LinkedIn group here.
How has LinkedIn help you in your therapy career?
Click here to read more about author Lisa Mauri Thomas.
Therapy professionals, if you enjoy writing or would like to share your expertise and are interested in becoming a PutMeBackTogether contributor, please click here.