You don’t need to have influencer-level skills to market yourself to potential employers. Just taking the time to make a few small tweaks could make a big difference between scoring an interview or even landing your dream job. Below we have 30 tips to help you up your self-promotion game.

Online Presence

1. Employers are probably going to Google you so ensure you have profiles on professional social media platforms. Sites like LinkedIn can be a great way to increase your online visibility in a curated, professional way.
2. When creating your profiles, do a little keyword research. If you’re a cardiologist, find what other cardiologists with a large following are posting about and use some of those keywords to make your profile easier for others to find.
3. Don’t be afraid to include some personal interests on your profile—you don’t want to sound like a robot, you want to be an appealing and relatable human.
4. Join groups that are related to your professional interests, not only will you get the latest news and education, you might also find networking opportunities.
5. Diversify your content: create or share video, photos, and shared articles.
6. Engage: if you’re getting comments on your posts, take the time to thoughtfully reply to each one.
7. Keep a blog! You can link your longer posts back to your social media channels.
8. Collaborate with friends within your industry. You’ll reach new but similar audiences.
9. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable: share personal stories or lessons you have learned. These make you more human and more memorable.
10. Are you an expert in your field? Consider seeking opportunities to submit a piece for another blog or website.
11. Be a podcast guest! If you’re not crazy about writing, find a podcast that might be interested in featuring you as a guest to share your knowledge with their audience.

Interviews

12. Take time to research the group before you schedule a call with the group and memorize a few unique points to mention during the conversation.
13. Follow up with employers right away by sending a thank you card.
14. Employers don’t hire resumes, they hire people. When you’re interviewing, be yourself and let them get to know you.
15. Groups like candidates that fit into their culture. When you speak with a group, ask a lot of questions, listen and tell them how your skills mesh with what they are looking for.
16. Show interest in the community: interviewers love where they live so they’ll be happy to talk to you more about the area. Do some research- are there unique hiking opportunities or local breweries or wineries within their community that interest you? Mention them! Alternatively, if you have any personal ties to the area, be sure to highlight those as well. The team wants to feel confident that you’re genuinely interested in the area and these points will help suggest that.

General Tips/Tricks

17. Know what sets you apart from another physician in your specialty and sell it! Do you have a particularly warm bedside manner? Are you a very social colleague that significantly contributes to workplace culture? Let them know! It’s okay to boast a little about yourself.
18. Start early – it’s better to get started on your job search before you think. It’s an extremely competitive market and the best jobs go fast. Begin hunting 18 months (even up to 24 months) ahead of when you want to start.
19. Expand your search area: sometimes getting a job in the perfect location means sacrificing other things that are more important to the quality of your work and lifestyle.
20. Not sure you’re interested in a practice? You will learn something from every conversation. If there is a 30% chance it could work, talk to a group. You’ll learn more about practices in general but also get your name out there.
21. Ask for help: you have worked hard to be the best physician you can be, but searching for a job and interviewing is not part of that training. A recruiter can help you put your best foot forward in the process of finding a job.
22. Professional affiliations: are you a member of a specialty group? Highlight your involvement when possible and don’t be afraid to tap into that network.
23. Don’t be shy about sharing big awards or accomplishments! These set you apart from your colleagues. It doesn’t even need to be formal- was there a large project that you helped complete? Talk about it!
24. Are you involved in the community or do you volunteer time? Highlight your extracurricular efforts even if they’re not directly related to your profession.
25. Employers will talk to people who aren’t on your list of references so it’s important to always exhibit professionalism, starting in your residency. They’ll use their own network of physicians who have worked with you in the past so it’s crucial to always leave a positive impression.

For Practicing Physicians

26. Ask patients to leave a nice review for you online. There are multiple physician rating websites they can choose from.
27. Focus on improving your communication skills and making appointments with patients as pleasant as possible. Their word-of-mouth marketing can bring you a whole new line of referrals.
28. If you’re a physician-owned practice, don’t be afraid to communicate periodically with your patients through an email newsletter. You can include health tips, highlights on new employees, or other items of note in your community.
29. Conduct surveys to continue improving patient experiences. Use their feedback to improve your process.
30. Generate new referrals through physician outreach. If you make friends with your local Primary Care Physicians, they’re more likely to shoot referrals your way.

SJA 30th Series: In celebration of our company’s 30th anniversary, we will be sharing 30 themed content throughout the year. 

[ READ: SJA Celebrates 30 Years ]