Part 2 Who LinkedIn is for, and Who it isnt For - CareerEnlightenment.com

If your past companies didn’t have recruiting divisions, or if your target companies don’t have them, then there’s a chance LinkedIn won’t help you.LinkedIn and Downstream RecruitersAccording to ZoomSphere, here are the top industries represented on LinkedIn:Higher educationInformation technologyFinancial servicesRetailSoftwareMarketingIf your industry falls within any of these categories, you really have no choice but to look amazing on LinkedIn, and add recruiters to your network.If you’re not sure if your industry uses recruiters, go to an advanced People search, enter in the industry that best represents you and type Recruiter as the keyword. See this screenshot:This industry, I picked at random, has 201 recruiters. Who knew?!If your industry has recruiters, then LinkedIn will be a good tool for you. Just remember to make sure you have a great looking LinkedIn profile before connecting with these recruiters.If there aren’t that many recruiters in your field, then you probably aren’t going to get random phone calls from recruiters. There is still hope though. Read the next section.Networking Your Way DirectlyBesides waiting for recruiters to offer you the red-carpet treatment, you can bypass recruiters completely and network directly with the companies you’d like to work for.When I was looking for work in 2009, there was nothing more comforting than knowing in minutes, I can compile a list of 10 companies, target people at those companies to network with, and schedule meetings within a week. Being in control does wonders to your sense of wellbeing. I highly recommend it!In the next post, I’ll show you the 4 steps you can take to conduct a powerful and proactive campaign for your career success without relying on recruiters to stumble upon your profile.Just remember you can’t do anything on LinkedIn without having a great looking profile.How About You?Now that you understand how recruiters think, does this change how you would use LinkedIn ?This is the second post in a three-part series about LinkedIn.Part 1: Why You Should Use LinkedIn Like Your Career Depends on ItPart 2: Who LinkedIn is for, and Who it isn’t ForPart 3: 4-Part Strategy: How to Use LinkedIn to Get the Job You Want