Is LinkedIn a social network for doctors in Switzerland? – What are the benefits?

Are you wondering if you should use LinkedIn? As a doctor, you probably have a packed diary and would rather devote your time to looking after your patients. But wait! LinkedIn can help you make your expertise more visible. Not only that, but you can also gain valuable insights, continuously develop yourself and discover new career prospects by interacting with your peers. Your own patients are among the 4 million Swiss LinkedIn users. So why not join them?

We have summarised the 7 most important reasons why you should use LinkedIn as a doctor.

1. Use LinkedIn to become more visible

LinkedIn is one of the many social media you can be on as a healthcare professional. If you are active on LinkedIn, it is easier for patients, colleagues and employers to become aware of you. Imagine a patient is looking for a doctor in your speciality and finds your profile on LinkedIn. There he/she can see what experience and qualifications you have, what others say about you and what content you share. This can help patients gain your trust and better recognise you as an expert in your field.

So boost your visibility, get noticed and don’t shy away from digital change. LinkedIn, along with the other social platforms, allows you to make your persona and practice more accessible with a content strategy.

2. Expand your network

LinkedIn is a great platform to expand your professional network. You can search for and network with colleagues, industry experts and other healthcare professionals in your field. This can help you discover new career opportunities, learn from other professionals and make valuable contacts.

Here’s an example: You meet a colleague on LinkedIn who you’ve worked with in the past and they recommend you to an employer or patient.

However, your contacts should not only consist of people you know. The potential lies above all in newly discovered circles that you can connect with in LinkedIn groups. You can expand your network as you wish and also create specialised groups yourself.

How you build your network on LinkedIn depends on your goal and your strategy. In any case, LinkedIn’s algorithm adapts to your connections and interests. You will always receive relevant recommendations that you can build on.

3. Gather new insights

LinkedIn offers a wealth of knowledge and information relevant to doctors and healthcare professionals. For example, you can read specialist articles, take part in discussions, and find out about current trends and developments in your field.

Build on the network you have established. Specialized groups on LinkedIn exchange information about methods, perspectives and opportunities in your industry. LinkedIn is like a specialised journal, only more compact, more personal and accessible to everyone.

You can then interact with these articles and specialist opinions as you wish and, ideally, write to the authors and enter into a personal dialogue. As a social media platform, LinkedIn offers you fast communication that you would not be able to take advantage of in your day-to-day work due to time constraints.

4. Build your personal branding

LinkedIn enables you to implement this branding effectively. You can optimise your profile, share interesting content and establish yourself as an expert in your field.

This allows you to stand out from other doctors and healthcare professionals and attract the attention of potential employers or patients. Imagine sharing an interesting video on LinkedIn that shows you performing a difficult surgery and reaching a wide audience.

Your successes, which you document and share on LinkedIn, also change the perception of your own patients. Potential patients will associate you with a picture there and will remember you next time.

5. Demonstrate your expertise

In addition to gaining new insights, you can and should also speak up yourself. LinkedIn acts like a mouthpiece when you share your knowledge and expertise there. An ingenious platform to be recognised as an expert in a specialist field.

You have the option of commenting on existing posts or creating your own post. You can choose any format you like: upload a video of yourself or write blog posts directly on LinkedIn on medical topics that interest you.

In this respect, LinkedIn is similar to the corporate world: you should make yourself noticed! People like to hear, read and respond to other professionals opinions. Through the communication and interaction that takes place there, you can constantly strengthen your expertise.

6. To stay informed about career opportunities

More than 60% of job applications are now advertised via social media platforms, with over 20% on LinkedIn alone. The trend is rising and many jobs and career opportunities can now only be found on LinkedIn. This is not surprising, since on LinkedIn you can list your work experience directly, just like in a CV. This allows companies to quickly and easily check a person’s qualifications.

The network you have built up on LinkedIn can also help you find out about internal job openings. This way, you are always one step ahead of other applicants. With a LinkedIn Premium subscription, you will also be better placed on searches and can write directly to hiring managers to make a good impression.

A well-filled LinkedIn profile acts, therefore, as a springboard for your future career. Your interests, expertise and contributions can all be accessed on this central platform, speeding up the recruitment process in your favour.

7. Find and hire staff

In addition to your own application process, LinkedIn can, of course, also be used to advertise jobs yourself. Use LinkedIn to speed up your process and find qualified candidates faster. You can also reach an even wider audience by sharing your job offer on your practice page or personal profile.

Applicants will be able to find out directly about your linked practice. You can also inform applicants about the status of their application directly via LinkedIn during the application process.

If you still decide to advertise the application on your main page, you can still link the offer on LinkedIn. LinkedIn offers an extra option for this!