How to Stand Out as a Consultant

We built flipMD to bring the gig economy to currently practicing physicians. However, in doing so, we have built something that most physicians do not have any prior context to orient themselves. Hence, this quick blog post. How do I stand out as a consultant on a marketplace like flipMD? Let’s chat. 

Build your profile

This is super simple but can be difficult. How do you stand out right away? Build your profile and build it well! flipMD is growing and more and more clients are looking for a diverse range of physicians; however, it can be difficult when a company posts a job and sees either an underfilled profile or worse, no information at all. When building it out, think about the types of companies you want to work with on flipMD. For example, if you are looking to work with startups, discuss your previous research experience and what makes you an expert in your field. If you are a pediatric endocrinologist then talk about your NIH grant experience as companies will likely find that extremely interesting when they are filling out grants and need that experience. 

Add a photo

Another very simple thing to quickly stand out. Put a clear, professional photo up so that companies can connect with you. Profiles with pictures are much more likely to be invited to jobs than those without. It gives a more personal touch to your profile than if it were a blank circle. 

The cover letter

This is the space to really stand out because you are going to shine a spotlight on your experience that makes you a great candidate for the particular job. As much as you want to build out your profile to be specific and show your skills, knowledge, and expertise; the cover letter is a very easy way to tailor your CV in a way to show YOU are the expert they need. For example, a company posts looking for a physician with prior experience as both a psychiatrist and previous NIH/NIMH grant experience. And you just so happen to have written multiple grants for your own lab...perfect! Time to truly shine, talk about your experience with those grants, the lessons you learned, how to submit quickly, tricks and tips, etc. Show your value with the cover letter. Caveat: the cover letter does not need to be a page, keep it short and to the point for that particular job. The job may be getting a lot of bids so be succinct but show your value. 

Pay rate

Speaking of your value, flipMD lets you set your own rate for every single job posted on the platform. You are a physician with a 4-year undergraduate degree, 4-years of medical school, 3-9 years of post-graduate medical training, and potentially other advanced degrees under your belt. Why do I say this? You need to know what your time is worth to you and your value as a physician. The client posts a job with a pay rate set; however, this is not the final pay rate, negotiate. This is not telemedicine where rates are pre-determined, you are the consultant and you are building a brand on flipMD. Bottom line, know your worth! 

Social media

Use the links to LinkedIn, Twitter, and ResearchGate. We have had a lot of clients (especially lawyers) who want to see more about the physicians and their previous work or research experience. 

Video introduction

Put up a short (<1 minute) video introducing yourself to potential clients. Video introductions are particularly useful for jobs like expert witness when an attorney can see what you would be like during testimony as their expert. This does not have to be extensive, just introduce yourself as you would at an interview. Name, location, specialty, medical school, training, and a fun fact about yourself. 

Reviews

As flipMD grows and more jobs are posted, you will begin to get reviews on your profile based on your previous jobs. Clients will post reviews based on their experience with you as a consultant. This will become one of your most powerful tools to get future jobs and also give you the ability to negotiate higher pay rates on future jobs.

If you can do these things, you will stand out as a consultant on flipMD and be competitive for more jobs. Any questions about how to build your profile, email me at greg@flip-md.com and I can show you examples of great profiles.