– Written by Don F. McLean, McLean Media

The demand for data scientists has increased by 56% in recent years (market.us), with global data volumes set to reach 175 zettabytes this year. This has created a ‘perfect storm’ of sorts for those entering the field, but standing out in the late 2020s is becoming increasingly difficult.

Data scientists are trained to look at evidence objectively. They assess patterns, validate models, and build insights based on what the data tells them. But in their own career, there is one dataset that often gets overlooked: what people can discover online.

Your digital presence is often the first impression you make in today’s off-site, work-from-home world. Recruiters, collaborators and conference organisers will likely see your LinkedIn profile before they see much else. What they find or don’t find can shape your professional opportunities.

This blog post details several actionable tips and insights to strengthen any LinkedIn profile. Let’s give them some great data to uncover.

Why visibility matters in technical fields

Data scientists are heavily embedded in important, time-sensitive work: modelling clinical trial data, identifying real-world data (RWD) or real-world evidence (RWE), working on submission deliverables, optimising code for reproducibility, or advancing data integrity. That work matters, but it all occurs behind the scenes.

If no one knows about your impact outside of your immediate team, it then becomes harder to grow your impact, earn recognition, or move into larger industry roles that match your unique abilities.

Building your personal brand on LinkedIn and establishing thought leadership bridges that gap. This is less about self-promotion and more about professional alignment. You are providing others with the context for understanding the value you bring. This will build your following, and help attract opportunities, industry awards, conference speaking slots, and more downstream.

Treat your LinkedIn profile like a dataset

If a data scientist’s LinkedIn profile is optimised in a similar way to a model or a report, then consider the following:

• Keep it clear: Use a headline that tells people what you do and what you are focused on. Avoid generic titles to describe yourself better. For instance, instead of ‘Statistical Programmer’ listed at the top of your profile, try ‘Clinical Trial Statistical Programmer | CDISC Standards | #JuliaLang Advocate’.
• Make sure it’s accurate: Your About section should reflect where you are in your career and what types of problems you help others solve. Make this as much about the value you bring than anything else. Include keywords that match the language of your industry.
• Structure it properly: Use bullet points and clean formatting in your experience sections. If you’ve worked on key studies, supported regulatory submissions, or contributed to open-source projects, list what you can clearly and find any relevant metrics that fit. Confidentiality often bars this industry from talking about the work, so saying an oncology project beat industry timelines by a specific percentage, for instance, may be the best course of action. No matter the case, make it easy for others to understand the scope of your expertise.
• Ensure it’s up to date: Stale data leads to wrong conclusions, right? The same applies to an individual’s profile. Take the time to update certifications, presentations, recent work, volunteer work, awards, publications, and the like. Once every four to six months should suffice.

Create a content strategy you can actually stick to

You don’t need to post every single day or write long-form articles to maintain visibility. A sustainable content strategy starts with something simple and manageable. One effective approach is to share what is trending in the industry, or something you have learned recently: a tool you used, a meaningful takeaway from a conference, or an article that opened your mind. These posts are non-promotional, showing that you are actively engaged in your field and open to growth.

Another valuable tactic is reflecting on work completed or in progress. Without revealing confidential details, consider sharing a challenge you helped solve or an observation you made. These types of insights often lead to thoughtful conversation, especially within the data science community. Done in the right way, these types of posts show your progress without boasting.

Finally, take the time to engage with others. LinkedIn has a Social Selling Index (SSI), which every person is rated on to indicate how well they establish a professional brand, engage with key insights, and build relationships on LinkedIn. Commenting on posts, responding with useful context, or celebrating a colleague’s achievement helps you stay visible and contribute to a stronger SSI. These interactions build relationships and reinforce your presence as someone who adds value consistently.

With LinkedIn, start small and post once a week. Offer value in each interaction. And most importantly, be consistent. Your profile will start to reflect your perspective, your skills and your contributions. The story of who you are as a data science professional will begin to unfold nicely and build over time. When it does, the right people will start to pay attention.

About the author

Don F. McLean, MBA is the founder of McLean Media, a strategic agency that supports life sciences organisations through thought leadership, PR and content marketing. He is the author of The In Crowd for LinkedIn Mastery. Don regularly advises CROs, biotech leaders and technical experts on how to elevate their presence and amplify their impact through platforms such as LinkedIn. Connect with Don at www.linkedin.com/in/donaldfmclean.