LinkedIn

When I talk to academics about LinkedIn, the most common word I hear is “grubby,” swiftly followed by “timesink”. Although networking is vital for most of us, these platforms are designed to keep us clicking like eejits all day long. You don’t get funding for reaching an impressive number of likes, and it’s easy to lose half a day when you intended to spend just five minutes. In this post, I’ll explain some tactics for making the most of LinkedIn without letting it gobble up your precious time or your soul. ...

One of the great advantages of LinkedIn is that it allows you to widen your network, especially beyond academia. Unless you’re careful, though, it can quickly turn into another Facebook. You don’t want a feed full of self-promoting posts from people you’re never likely to meet or work with. In this guide, I’ll suggest a strategy for thinking about who should connect with and how you’ll engage with them. 1. What are you offering? The first step is to create a strong LinkedIn profile. If you’re asking people to connect and read your content, you need to explain why that’s a good use of their time. Your profile should explain who you are, your research interests, and what you’re currently working on. ...

Once you’ve built your LinkedIn profile, you might wonder what on earth you should post. If you struggle to talk about yourself, LinkedIn can be a nightmare. Although the platform is increasingly becoming a vital part of your academic web presence, it feels dominated by attention-seekers and show-offs. But you don’t need to toot your own horn. In this guide, I’ll discuss ways you can post on LinkedIn without feeling grubby or pushy. ...

In the good old days, LinkedIn was just for the corporate world. Increasingly, though, it’s becoming an essential part of your academic web presence. Publishers, funders, employers, collaborators, and participants all expect to find your profile. Given its commercial emphasis, how can you make LinkedIn serve your research interests? In this guide, I’ll walk you through the main sections of a LinkedIn profile and suggest how you can use it to your best advantage. ...