5 Reasons why veterinary students should be on LinkedIn

It’s no secret that today’s generation of veterinary students have a strong presence on social media. The presence of veterinary students has tremendously grown on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube over the last two years. However, many students or young veterinarians admit that they are not on LinkedIn. A recent poll that I created on Instagram showed that roughly 50% of the responders do not use LinkedIn.

I get it.

Our generation thinks it’s a platform for the generation above us and they see no need in being on it; but, that’s exactly why I am challenging vet students and recent grads to have a presence on LinkedIn. Is it our generation that is doing the hiring? More than likely not! It has become a common step for hiring managers, practice owners, and even staff to “stalk” prospect employees on social media prior to hiring. We won’t get into the legalities or ethics of this, but it happens, and we are all guilty of it. Your social media presence can tell a lot about you (we’ll save this for a later article).

1. Recruiters and practice managers have a strong presence
I used to think that LinkedIn was not applicable to veterinary medicine. Our profession is often behind the ball on technology and various advancements, and I assumed the same held true for our presence on LinkedIn. I was wrong. The veterinary profession has a strong presence on LinkedIn. There are job scouts/hiring consultants with a strong presence that are constantly looking for veterinarians. I even recently saw a post looking for an intern. This is such a great platform to look for new jobs and opportunities. In fact, on LinkedIn, opportunities often find YOU!

2. Online resumé:
An awesome part of LinkedIn is that you can share achievements, promotions, create articles, and so much more. Your profile is essentially your resumé, but much more relaxed. LinkedIn allows you to enhance your resume; no more boring single page word document. Add fun, exciting things that you enjoy, all while still displaying it in a professional manner.

3. Platform to build your brand:
Do you plan to own a business? Or maybe you’re planning on becoming a media personality? This is a great platform to grow your brand. As with all social media platforms, each one has a specific target audience. The ones who follow you on LinkedIn may be different from the ones that follow you on Facebook or Instagram. By having a profile on LinkedIn, you’re increasing your social presence.

4. Connect with industry leaders:
If you spend 5 minutes searching “veterinary medicine” on LinkedIn, you’ll immediately see the major presence of industry leaders. This was a surprise to me! This platform allows you to follow and interact with industry leaders such as VCA, Banfield, celebrity veterinarians and many more. No telling what may come out of those connections!

5. Participate in special interest groups:
Lastly, a new thing that I just discovered were groups. There are many special interest groups on LinkedIn. Whatever you’re interested in, there’s probably an interest group. Some popular interest groups in veterinary medicine are “Veterinary Radiology” and “American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.” These are closed groups that allow veterinary professions private access to great conversations about cases!

I encourage all veterinary students to consider these reasons and create a LinkedIn profile. Once you have done so, it’s smart to add the link to your resumé. This allows your future employer direct access to your profile in order for them to learn more about you.