Are you on LinkedIn? If you’re a travel nurse, you ought to be. LinkedIn is a great resource for travel nurses in a variety of ways. In fact, it’s the only professional social media platform out there. It allows you to stay connected with your peers, find jobs that aren’t always on the leading job boards, and brand yourself in an eye-catching and effective way.
Here are some LinkedIn best practices for travel healthcare professionals:
Complete your profile.
A LinkedIn profile that isn’t complete just looks shoddy. Make sure to update and complete your profile so that you’re putting your best foot forward online. First, include a professional photo of yourself because profiles with no photo usually get skipped over. Create a headline (this section appears right below your name) and list your certifications and licensures behind it. You might also want to customize your LinkedIn URL—rather than a random string of letters and numbers; you can make it your name, which looks far more professional and polished.
Keep your experience/work history updated.
One of the great things about LinkedIn is that it’s very easy to add to or edit your work history and experience. If you get a new travel nursing position or realize you’ve left out that temporary position from a few years ago and want to add it, it will only take a few moments. It’s a great way to outline your entire work history in one place, and it makes for an easy reference when it’s time to update your resume.
Establish a network of colleagues.
Why use LinkedIn at all if you’re not going to connect with others? That’s the entire point! Make sure to establish a network on LinkedIn: connect with past and current coworkers, supervisors, recruiters, industry leaders, vendors, etc. Unlike real-life networking, you can connect with just about anyone, no matter where they are in the world. You just never know when one of those connections might pay off.
Participate.
Use LinkedIn to stay current in your industry. There’s a wealth of information there, especially on forums and within groups that relate to your particular industry. Join discussions; share articles and information; look for job openings you’re interested in. Using the platform how it’s intended to be used will give you the best results.
Are you in the market for a new travel healthcare position? We can help. Take a look at ARMstaffing’s travel nursing job opportunities to see what’s available, and contact us to get started on your journey.
