Locum agencies, such as Clarity Locums, are a great place to find locum shifts, but have you considered using LinkedIn to search for job opportunities?
With more than 700 millions users, Linkedin is much more than just a place to post your CV. It allows you to look for job opportunities, connect with others, develop your skills, stay up to date with industry news, and more.
By following our tips below you can really make the most out of your Linkedin experience and use it to promote yourself and further your career:
Complete your Profile
The very first thing you need to do on Linkedin is set up your profile. Filling in your name, education, work experience and adding a good quality photo will help you to appear more professional. Make sure to take the time to complete this step thoroughly and strategically, with relevant information that will make you stand out to employers. Don’t forget to add your certifications and licences. After this, you will only need to update your page whenever you change jobs, complete a new certification, etc.
Keep it professional
Although you can add your own personal style to your profile, make sure you keep it on the professional side. Keep in mind that you will be connecting with colleagues, bosses, and potential employers on this site, and your Linkedin community will be able to see what you share, post and comment. Don’t say or do anything that you wouldn’t do in a professional environment!
Write a great headline
Linkedin allows users to add a section to your profile, where you can describe what you do in under 120 characters. This doesn’t need to be your exact job title, or even the company you work for; instead, try to use a customised headline to help you stand out. (eg. Experienced pharmacist with a passion for community pharmacy.)
Add a summary
Here you can tell us more about yourself, and the story behind your career. This is what recruiters will read so be sure to make it as clear and structured as possible. Add in any skills you’ve acquired (including soft skills) and any industries you have worked in.
Highlight your Locum experience
One of the most important sections of your Linkedin profile is the work experience section. Here, you have the opportunity to show which companies you have worked for and the duration. However, as a locum pharmacist, you may find it difficult to represent the multiple pharmacies you’ve completed shifts in, without this section becoming overcrowded.
Our tips would be: to add the locum agency you work for as your ‘company’. You can access the Clarity Locum company page here. Avoid terms like ‘self-employed’. Only add experiences that are relevant to your career direction and try to avoid unexplained gaps in your work history.
Ask for recommendations and endorsements
Try to get recommendations from people you have worked with in the past. This will be really beneficial for recruiters who are searching for the right candidate. As well as this, colleagues can endorse your skills and serve as a confirmation that you can do what you say you can!
If you are locuming for Clarity Locums currently, feel free to reach out to Anthony or any of the locum team for recommendations.
Add your contact information
At the very least, be sure to add your email address to the “Contact Information” section, to allow recruiters or potential employers to get in touch with you. Another good tip is to customise your URL (preferably linkedin.com/yourname), rather than using the combination of numbers that Linkedin assigns to you.
Expand your network
Start to connect with others on Linkedin. Try to connect with people you have worked with or people who are familiar with you. Avoid sending requests to strangers for the sake of getting a higher number of connections. If you are reaching out to someone you don’t know in relation to a job, you can add a personal message on the invitation to introduce yourself.
You can also join groups that are relevant to your industry, and meet like minded people this way.
Follow relevant businesses
Keep up to date on what is going on in your industry by following company pages like pharmacies, hospitals, clinics and others. By interacting with their content, you are building your presence in the community. This is another great way to meet other health professionals.
Open to work
Finally, if you are currently job hunting, you can let recruiters and your Linkedin network know that you are “open to work”. You can add this to your page by clicking add profile section > introduction > looking for job opportunities. Put the jobs you are interested in, the cities or countries where you would like to work and the type of job you are looking for.
Clarity Locums
If you are looking for job opportunities, remember that Clarity also has a range of full and part-time opportunities for pharmacists who may be interested in working in a regular location.
Check out our permanent roles here
Clarity Locums is also here to help you develop your career as a locum pharmacist and help you find the best locum shifts in your area. Sign up now on the Clarity Locums website.