Propel Careers

Propelling Careers Podcast episode 101 covering Advice for building your personal brand on LinkedIn is live on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ZYvUiHLw9QtieBg25kGmi?si=uuZBsSmrRfCuhKm8kX6fgw) and Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/propelling-careers/id1747039410?i=1000760751845).

In this episode, Jim and I focus on advice relating to building your personal brand on LinkedIn. In Feb 2026, I gave two talks at the Transition to Industry Event organized by the Torrey Pines Training Consortium including one on building your brand on LinkedIn. This podcast covers questions that I received during this talk including ones below. That event was developed for early career scientists who are thinking of transitioning to a career in industry. We hope you enjoy listening.

What should I do with my profile if I am not actively looking for a job at the moment

For mid-career professionals who are quietly exploring industry roles, how do you balance visibility with discretion?

Does it matter how many connections a person has on LinkedIn?

Is the summary/about section absolutely necessary in LinkedIn?

I’ve noticed these LinkedIn research summaries highlight recent or most current roles. How would you incorporate skills learned in past experiences (undergraduate or prior) briefly in a personal summary

How important is using a work banner or emojis in a profile? What is actually necessary for a personal brand?

Could writing your hobbies into the LinkedIn profile sometimes also come off as unprofessional?

Do you recommend listing certifications related to things you are interested in on LinkedIn? Will it give you a leg up?

How often do recruiters contact grad students and postdocs? I've heard it's more common at higher levels

Does the recruiter see our job score?

Do recruiters see How many jobs we applied for

Can recruiters see how many responses we got back?

Lauren Celano, CEO of Propel Careers and Jim Gould, the Director for Postdoctoral Affairs at Harvard Medical School, launched this podcast as a way for us to share our advice, insights, and reflections to help others navigate their careers.

As we develop new episodes, this podcast will provide insights regarding career advice to help listeners navigate career choices and become more confident in their decisions. We look forward to busting myths and providing real life, timely, and accurate advice. Jim and Lauren work heavily with Ph.D. trained scientists, but the advice we provide can be applicable to other audiences. We hope you enjoy listening!