"I've said it before, and by gosh, I'll say it again - don't be afraid to toot your own horn." - Emlyn Chand
Along with communicating your research to the public, another vital skill to learn to learn in order to advance your work is to become comfortable with promoting yourself and your ideas. Some people have a hard time talking about their achievements because it feels like bragging, but that isn't the case if it's done correctly! Self promotion is a crucial element to success and advancement in your career and it can help you get connected with the right people, grow your ideas through collaboration, and get credit for the work you are doing.
An elevator speech (or elevator pitch, elevator statement) is a short, pre-planned speech that explains what you or your organization does in a clear and succinct manner. The speech should be brief, persuasive and should explain what makes you - or your organization, project, or idea - unique. The name "elevator speech" refers to the idea that you should be able to deliver the summary within approximately 30 seconds to two minutes - the time span of an elevator ride.
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Networking is vital for career advancement and provide you with more professional opportunities. It can open up doors to possible jobs, collaboration with other researchers, participation in medical societies and can help build your digital or social media profile.
Conferences
Along with being a great educational opportunity, conferences are also an excellent forum for networking since you can speak with other researchers and share your ideas through conference sessions and various social events.
Profession Associations
Profession associations are another terrific avenue to meet and connect with peers, mentors, and other industry leaders. Networking with professionals outside of your organization can give you a more broader perspective on your profession and healthcare in general.
Social Networking Sites
Most researchers nowadays have some sort of online profile in order to promote themselves or their research. If you haven't done so already, consider joining academic social networks such as Academia.edu, ResearchGate or Mendeley (see the Collaboration page on the Research Building Blocks guide for more information), where you can collaborate with fellow researchers by following individual researchers or topics, join groups, or search for people with similar interests. A lot of researchers are also present on platforms such as "X" or Linkedin to meet fellow researchers or colleagues digitally and have conversations online.
Google Scholar
Consider creating a Google Scholar profile to boost your academic profile by collating your publications (and citations to them) so that others can find your work easier. Setting up a profile is quick and easy and only takes a few minutes.
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