To optimize your LinkedIn profile as a Data Scientist, you need to build a strong LinkedIn presence.
LinkedIn Profile Photo: Keep a high-definition, well-lit professional headshot as your LinkedIn profile picture. People use informal selfies and group pictures which does not have a good impact on those viewing your profile.
Headline: Here’s where you can get more creative. LinkedIn allows you to pitch yourself briefly and effectively. You can use minimum words to make maximum impact on recruiters.
Mention specific skills that grab attention. For example, if you’re proficient in NLP and CNN, your headline should clearly reflect that.
Write a simple, results-driven headline which will make your profile visitors spend some time on your profile and connect with you.
Professional Summary: If you have relevant experience as a Data Scientist, do write a clear and informative career journey. Mention your Designation, Organization and Dates of employment along with a quick summary of your job role.
Write in pointers. Include results, numbers and metrics wherever possible. When writing Data Science projects that you have worked on start with the problem statement and then mention the result your project had. If including algorithms, ensure to mention the ones you have a certain level of proficiency in.
Collect and write recommendations: Make sure you ask for recommendation notes from your previous peers, colleagues, superiors and collaborators. A good way to ensure that is to recommend people yourself.
Focus on your skill-set.
Do not try to get too many recommendations by endorsing and recommending your connections randomly or sending random requests. If you’re an expert on Naive Bayes, you can focus on collecting recommendations from people who have worked with you on a related project or recognized your skills for that particular algorithm.
If you have a quality recommendation from 2–3 people along with instances just Naive Bayes, it will have a stronger impact than having your peers validating you randomly for multiple ML algorithms.
Endorse for skills: Get your technical skills highlighted by collecting endorsements from colleagues and managers.
Focus on getting endorsed for popular tools and applications that are relevant in the industry. For instance, getting endorsed for Python proficiency adds much more value to your profile than getting endorsed for a programming tool like Java.
Since Python is a more efficient and time-saving tool for Machine Learning than Java, it is automatically a more relevant skill than Java. Weed out such unimportant additions from your profile.
LinkedIn Skill Assessments: LinkedIn is one of the leading platforms for job searching in the world and thousands of companies and job recruiters list over 1000+ jobs daily. While its size makes it crucial to create and maintain a LinkedIn profile, it can also make it harder for you to stand out, as there are just too many applicants.
Which is where LinkedIn Skill Assessments come into play. Taking one of these tests (and passing) can help confirm you’re the real deal and help you stand out from the crowd as a result. Recruiters will use any tool at their disposal to zero in on the best candidates.
Taking a test or getting a LinkedIn skill badge is not a guarantee that you will land your dream job. However, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking a LinkedIn Skill Assessment.
Accomplishments & Interests: Make this area reflect your interest in Data Science. Write down your accomplishments, certifications and courses.
Again, if you are mentioning Data Science tools and applications here, also mention your proficiency level in each. For example, you might write ‘’Highly proficient in…” and follow that with a list of ML algorithms. A more reliable way of doing that would be to write something like this:
-Linear Regression: Proficiency- High. Successfully built # number of models using Linear Regression…
-Logistic Regression: Proficiency- Intermediate. Worked on # number of algorithms with medium exposure to Logistic Regression…
Update your credentials: If you have taken a data science course online/offline, include them under Education. List all the topics you have learned in the course duration. If you have worked on a data project at work, include them under responsibilities.
Post project links in your projects section: It is likely that you would have done a capstone project as a part of your course. You would have presented it to an audience. Don’t just save it to your computer. Share it online. I suggest uploading them to Github and Slideshare and copy-paste the links to your individual projects. Include a well written project summary that details the work you have done. You must specify if the project was done as a team or solo. If it is a team - include the names of your project partners and detail the tasks executed by each of you. There should be mention of the tools and techniques you have used in solving the problem.
If you have not worked on a data science project, then i ask of you to just spend a week working on one data science problem. Create presentations that detail how you approached the problem. Read about CRISP-DM. This is all you need to explain your approach one step at a time. Build your project portfolio because end of the day your activities count as experience. Employers want a tangible proof of your experience. Personal projects are the best to way to do it.
Share data science related articles on Linkedin: If you have read an interesting article or tutorial related to Data science. Post them on your profile. This helps your peers recognize the value in the domain and also acknowledge your dedication to learning.
Follow Data science influencers and Companies: The more people you follow, the more you learn about the trends in the field. This will complement the above tip.
Create an “Independent activities” section under Education: Taking a course is one thing, but applying the knowledge you get from it is a whole new ball game. I believe in this phrase - “Knowledge is wasted when not expressed”. This section should list all your independent activities - whether it is additional courses, attending workshops and webinars, or participating in hackathons, you must list them.
Upload professional certificates: Don’t post all of them separately, because this will make your profile look like a movie credits section. Not all are Marvel fans. Nobody has the patience to go through them all. I prefer to keep the profile minimalistic. There are websites that let you collate all your certificates and showcase it on a single dashboard. Utilize it and you will only have to post the link to the site. All your certificates are a click away.
Profile URL: Create a profile URL. Allow others to quickly identify you in search results by changing or customising your public profile URL. Just go to your ‘Profile’ then click on the profile URL which appears on the bottom-left corner on the window. It should be something like – https://www.linkedin.com/in/xyz-abc-245b5b42 by default. Just click on it, add your name which is simple to read.
LinkedIn might be the first social media platform you consider when looking for work. But Twitter offers plenty of opportunities for job seekers and resercher too but in a more informal setting. It's common to see large companies announce vacancies on Twitter, and you're able to follow recruiters and hiring managers without needing to make a formal connection as you would on LinkedIn.
Twitter can be useful for:
- Filtering, accessing science stories relevant to your field of study (e.g., EurekAlert!, news media, science writers)
- Assisting with your career (job ads, getting to know potential colleagues/supervisors)
- Creating a research network
- Doing research
- Forging collaborations
- Attending conferences virtually
- Engaging with a broader audience (e.g. Directly or through journalists, media offices, science writers)
- Social justice, political change, activism
- Being inspired by great thinkers, innovators, writers, scientists etc
- Seeng the human side of science
- Becoming a better writer and science communicator
- Track the reach of your work (analytics)
Optimizing Your Twitter Bio to Find Work Step back from the idea you always need to apply for a job actively and consider that recruiters also search Twitter to headhunt their candidates. So, if you want to show up in their results, ensure your Twitter bio is thoroughly optimized.
You only have 160 characters, so make them count. You might choose to mention your qualifications, the industry you work in, or your past work experience. Remember to use keywords that employers might search for, like "finance graduates."
It's also a good idea to be easily contactable by opening your DMs. You can switch these on through Messages > Settings > Direct Messages.
Use Twitter Lists to Find Valuable Content If you already follow hundreds of accounts on Twitter, how can you sift through all the content to find relevant job vacancies? The answer is Twitter Lists. This is a category of accounts you group together to make it easier to find the information you're looking for.
Instead of relying on the general Twitter feed to present the tweets you want to read, you can set up lists to help manage your job search. For example, you might want to create a list of companies that offer remote work or those that are hiring graduates with your degree.
Start by going to Lists and Start a New List.
You can give your list a name, a description, and choose to add an image too. These are all essential fields if you want to make your list Public, but for a job-seeking list, you'll probably want to set your list to Private so no one can see it.
Organize Your Job Search With TweetDeck TweetDeck is a dashboard feature that provides you with an at-a-glance overview of your Twitter feed. You can view lists, trending topics, messages, and account information in a single hit to supercharge your experience of Twitter.
It's easier to work with TweetDeck on a desktop than on your phone. But from here, you can keep an eye on industry news, job openings, and important updates.
Once you're logged in to TweetDeck using your Twitter sign-in, you can customize the columns to provide you with the most relevant information.
Building a Relevant Twitter Network If you're new to Twitter, don't expect to attract thousands of followers overnight — it does take time. To build a solid professional profile, start by following the accounts of:
- Companies you might be interested in working with
- Recruitment firms
- Career fairs
- Past colleagues
- College professors
- Thought leaders within your industry.
Remember, you can create Twitter Lists based on your connections. It's important to go beyond just following these accounts. Engage with them and respond to their tweets regularly to build an ongoing relationship.
Participating in Twitter Chats Twitter Chats are recurring conversations hosted by the same account. They might happen weekly or monthly, but they'll usually be at the same time. Each Twitter chat has a hashtag to follow, which you should include in every message you write during the chat.
Start looking for Twitter Chats to join — for example, #JobHuntChat takes place on Mondays at 9 pm EST. This offers tips on networking, interviewing, and creating a winning resume.
Maximize Your Use of Twitter Search With so much information available on Twitter, you must know how to use the search tool correctly, starting with the terms you use.
Use a combination of keywords in this sequence: location + job level + job + industry.
Your result can look like this: New York + graduate + job + accountancy.
You can switch out the word "job" with "hiring." "vacancy," or "position" as needed.
After choosing your search terms, use the filter to narrow down your field further. For example, you can filter by From Anyone or People You Follow and by Location.
By clicking Advanced Search, you can include hashtags, accounts, and engagement fields.
Narrowing Down Job Opportunities We've already discussed Twitter Chats, Twitter Lists, and how to build your Twitter network, but there are yet more ways to seek out job opportunities on Twitter. The first is to use hashtags, so you can follow tags like #hiring, #gradjobs, #salesjobs, or whatever terms are relevant to you.
It's also worth creating a list of dream companies you would like to work for. If it's a giant corporation, they will often promote a separate Twitter account just for recruitment. For example, KPMG Careers Twitter profiles are different from the main KPMG account.
Present a Professional Image If you're using Twitter for professional purposes, think about the image you're portraying. Your account doesn't need to be as formal as LinkedIn, but it needs to present you positively. So use a clear and crisp headshot as your Twitter profile picture, and remember to optimize your bio.
You can also link to your professional website or LinkedIn profile so recruitment teams can conduct further background research on you.
If you already have a Twitter account for non-work purposes, review the tweets you send out to check if they would be suitable for hirers to read. This isn't LinkedIn, so you don't need to be 100% professional. But you might be more comfortable setting up a new Twitter account, so there aren't any blurred lines between your work and personal life.
Using Twitter for Interview Prep Congratulations, you've secured an interview! Now, it's time to do your prep work, so you can go into that interview and win over the recruiters. Twitter is a great way to learn every last detail about the company you'd like to work for. In fact, you can use Twitter without an account to snoop around.
Be careful not to start actively following any of the interviewers at this stage. Still, you can certainly do a lot of digging to learn about their past work experience, projects, and outside interests.
When using Twitter as a scientist, here are some things to think about:
- What you might want to do on Twitter? (Learn? Engage? Have fun? Grow a following? Do research? Promote your work?). Craft your profile and approach based on these objectives (Note: this can change!)
- If your objectives are about science, find a balance between professional/personal (actually: ALWAYS think about this… And remember that “personal” is seldom completely private with social media tools)
- Don’t overwhelm your followers with self-promotion
- When tweeting try to “Be professional, and Be positive” (note: I learned this advice from Adam Taylor who runs #SciStuChat)
- You don’t have to Tweet to be on Twitter: Watch and learn before jumping in (many months, perhaps!)
- Curate who you follow carefully (Don’t be afraid to unfollow people)
- Don’t obsess about growing your own following: this will happen over time
- Don’t feel you have to read your entire feed: important and interesting content appears multiple times
- If you per objective is to share content, aim for information-rich tweets (links/photos etc)
- Use “draft” features – sometimes it’s good to write Tweets without sending them right away.
- Learn how to use Hashtags effectively (they are, essentially the “magnets” of the Internet)
- Own up to mistakes / apologize
- Give credit where it’s due, especially when thinking about sharing photos or art: ask permission before sharing!
- Curate content! (e.g. “Like” button, or better yet, another program – Pocket, Evernote) – it’s easy to forget about neat things you have seen on Twitter, so it’s important to find ways to save the things you may wish to find later on.
Caveats:
- Twitter can become a time-waster and great procrastination tool: learn to be careful with your use
- Often, your community ends up being limited to like-minded people
- It’s easy to get embroiled in debates and controversy: be careful
- Trolls can ruin everything; people can be jerks.
- Twitter is certainly not for everyone