Part of your professional responsibility is to keep current with technological trends and emerging medical breakthroughs in your field or specialty. In a similar vein, when it comes time to find a new job, you should be utilizing and scouring the latest technological trends to find your dream position.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes in the job hunting landscape to emerge over the past several years is the ability and necessity of using social media to find physician jobs.

Do your research

With any monumental undertaking, it’s best to prepare a game plan before you begin. Research the type of place you want to work, whether it’s a specific hospital or organization you are targeting or a general location you would like to explore. Once you have a short list of places you want to target, study what social media platforms they are actively using and see if those match the platforms you currently use.

Try to find out if the company posts open job positions directly to their social media or if they have interactive offerings on their social accounts, such as question and answer sessions or hosted public webinars with professionals. Knowing the social media output of your target company will help formulate a plan to use your own social media accounts to try and land your preferred position.

Keep your profiles as professional as possible

Social media platforms such as LinkedIn often serve as a digital version of your CV, one that can be viewed at any time and at any place by anyone. And yes, anyone certainly includes your potential employer.

Make sure to keep all your social media profiles as professional as possible while also making sure to highlight your work history, educational background and clinical experience. There aren’t any strict limitations on how one should present themselves on social media – they’re meant to be fun as well and showcase your personality – but it’s wise to be aware that posting anything particularly offensive, controversial or divisive could certainly affect your future employment.

A good rule to follow is if you wouldn’t want your current boss to see what you’re posting on social media, it’s probably best to leave it off the internet.

Seek out the social media mavens in your area of expertise

These days, simply following a company or organization on social media isn’t enough to lead to any tangible results in your career. More and more, social media engagement is being prioritized for career explorers, and it’s something that can be used to your advantage while also helping you grow as a physician and a person.

If you follow influential professionals in your area of expertise, this provides many opportunities to engage with their posts. Those interactions can be something simple, such as congratulating them on their professional accomplishments and announcements or to participate in a healthy discussion and share your personal point of view.

The more you interact and participate, the more likely you will get noticed. Perhaps more importantly, the more you share your thoughts and have positive discussions with those in your peer group, the more you can grow as a physician through understanding differing points of view.

Let the world know your expertise and interests

If you’re a pulmonologist, it might not make sense to exclusively post about neuroscience on your social media pages. Even if it’s a particular interest of yours, it’s still best to remember your social media presence is often a reflection of your own expertise and interest.

If you plan on using social media to find your next job, it is recommended to showcase your knowledge of your specialty to attract those in your field who may be looking to fill an open position. Whether it’s sharing relevant news articles or case studies, writing blogs and articles or even making a video series showcasing your knowledge, this all aids in not only growing your professional reputation but also helps you stand out from the crowded field of job applicants.

Be consistent

Think back to when you were searching for a restaurant or store you wished to patronize. Did you locate their social media pages and find they had not made a post in over a year or two? Or did you find a place that posted content every single day? These are both likely options that you have come across before.

In most cases, people will visit the business with an active social media presence because it assures them the company is up and running each day – and successful. Likewise, you should have the same mindset when you are pondering how often you should post or interact on social media.

Daily sharing of new content and active engagement will show potential employers you care about breaking news in your field, you are current on emerging trends and active in your community of peers.

Make social media work for you

With competition as tough as ever, physician candidates should exploit every potential option to stand out from the ever-growing pack of suitable job applicants. When paired with all your other skills and positive traits, being not only fluent in social media but an active and engaging user can go a long way in helping you land your next job position.