Search for Skills Instead of Titles
Why Job Titles Aren’t Enough
Searching by job titles alone can leave you feeling like you’re missing out on the best opportunities. Why? Because the titles for biostatistics roles vary widely across organizations, even though the skills and duties are often the same. By focusing on skills rather than just titles, you’ll open up a whole new layer of opportunities that are perfectly suited for you.
Here’s What You Should Search For:
🖥️ Programming Languages
- R
- SAS
- Python
- STATA
🔧 Programming Tools & Packages
- Pandas
- ggplot2
- Tidyverse
- dplyr
📊 Biostatistics & Methods
- Survival Analysis
- Generalized Linear Models (GLM)
- Mixed-Effects Models
- Regression Analysis
- Machine Learning (in the context of health data)
🩺 Epidemiology
- Epidemiological Methods
- Statistical Epidemiology
- Public Health Data Analysis
💻 Health Data Specializations
- Electronic Health Records (EHR)
- Clinical Trial Data
- Real-World Evidence (RWE)
- Bioinformatics
- Health Data Integration
How to Search for Skills
One great way to search by skills is LinkedIn. Instead of typing job titles, plug specific skills into the Jobs section. You’ll uncover listings that never would’ve come up under a generic “biostatistician” search.
Here’s how to do it on LinkedIn:
- Go to the Jobs section.
- Type in relevant skills (e.g., R programming, SAS programming, Survival Analysis).
- Refine your search by location, industry, or company.
Bonus Tip: Make sure your own LinkedIn profile is optimized for the skills you’re searching for—this helps you show up in employer searches too!
💡 Action Step: Run a Skill-Based Search
Pick the skills you have from the lists above and run job searches for each one on LinkedIn. Write down any recurring patterns in job titles, industries, or keywords. These are valuable clues that will refine your job search strategy and uncover hidden-fit roles.