Prior to starting my search for Utilization Review jobs, I never had a LinkedIn profile. I knew colleagues who started >10 years ago on LinkedIn, but I saw little value in creating an account that appeared to merely be "Facebook for Professionals." I was told that I needed to create one if I was serious about going nonclinical, so I made my 1st LinkedIn profile in early 2021.

A common question people pursing nonclinical careers ask me is, "Do I need to make a LinkedIn Profile?" The short answer is yes, but it is nowhere near as critical as a good ATS compliant resume. I think LinkedIn can be useful, so I will highlight some of it's usefulness and how to get started on LinkedIn:

Ways LinkedIn can be useful

• Create job alerts sent to your e-mail. This can be for specific job titles or companies.

• Networking with others. Some add people who hold the job titles in the companies they are applying for. Others seek recruiters for the companies they want to work for.

• Additional insights about you beyond your resume. Try to avoid a "copy and paste" of your resume in a social media format.

• Preparing for an interview.

If you know who will be interviewing you, information available on their LinkedIn profile may help show you've done your homework. Although, I have lately found that some hiring managers choose not to have a public LinkedIn profile.

How to get started

Lots of unnecessary time can be spent on LinkedIn to create an ideal profile, so here are some important components needed for developing your profile in a time efficient manner.

• Select a recent photo that can fit 60% of the frame. For additional photo tips, consider reading https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/product-tips/tips-for-picking-the-right-linkedin-profile-picture

• Write in 1st person. It is okay to say "I, me, mine, myself, and my" because you are explaining who you are.

• Provide your elevator pitch for being the ideal candidate. State who you are, what you've accomplished, some of your strengths and why you are seeking your new career endeavor. Use keywords from job postings you are interested in applying for.

• Edit your URL. The default URL is unnecessarily long and will look more professional on a resume if customized.

If looking for examples of well created LinkedIn summaries (the About section), check out https://www.jobscan.co/blog/linkedin-summary-examples/

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