Advance Your Career by Networking With Recruiters on LinkedIn

By Alexis Stiebe

Do you want to passively look for a new position while continuing to excel in your current role? Even if you are happy in your current role it’s smart to keep your options open in case an excellent opportunity to advance in your career becomes available.

This is where recruiters come in. They are seeking professionals who are excelling in their current role and meet the skills and talent their client is looking for. Crafting your LinkedIn profile to be more easily discovered by recruiters, means they’ll come to you when a new opportunity is ready.

There are a couple of ways to do this. You can set up your profile to be more discoverable in search so that a recruiter finds you when they search for specific skills, career history, or job titles. You can also find recruiters that work in the industry you seek and connect with them so that you are in the first search they make when trying to fill a new position.

To make your LinkedIn profile more discoverable:

  • Complete every section of your profile. LinkedIn will show pop-up notices every so often if your profile isn’t deemed 100% complete. Follow LinkedIn’s suggestions until your profile is considered “complete” by LinkedIn. These types of profiles are given higher priority in search results.

  • Include detail about your past experience. There is space provided to write a short paragraph about each of your past positions. Use this space to include keywords for the industry you work in and the skills you’ve gained. These terms should be included in complete sentences (not just a list of words). When choosing your keywords, imagine what a recruiter would search for in order to find a professional like you.

  • Fill out the “About” section at the top of your profile. This space should also use key words and phrases a recruiter may use to search for you. Include the industry you work in, your job title, and some of your key skills.

To add recruiters to your LinkedIn network:

  1. Make a list of the industries you want to work for.

  2. Make a list of the companies you want to work for.

  3. Search for recruiters in the industry list you’ve made OR one of the companies you want to work for by typing one of the following into the LinkedIn search bar and then hitting enter:
    • Recruiter {your industry}
      for example: Recruiter Agriculture
    • Recruiter {company name}
      for example: Recruiter Nutrien


  4. Select “People” in the top toolbar of the search results. This will result in a list of recruiters for the industry you searched for or that work at the company you searched for.

  5. Review the recruiter list until you find one that seems to hire people with your skills and background.

  6. Click “Connect” either in the search results by their name or in their profile.

  7. Be sure to use the “Add a Note” option and introduce yourself. You want to make a good connection and build your network. For example: I’m a sales manager and I see you are a recruiter in the agronomy industry. I’m open to new opportunities in the Southeast. If you have any openings I’d be a good fit for, I’d be happy to chat. You can reach me at 333.555.1234.

  8. Repeat the above steps to build your recruiter network!

The recruiters that accept your invitation are now a part of your network. When they have new openings, you’ll already be included in their first search. Stay active on LinkedIn and your posts will be included in their news feed. If you closely match the positions they routinely place, you may become one of the first people they reach out to the next time a great opportunity arises.

The recruiting consultants at Ag 1 Source are always willing to expand their network. That could be a good place to start. Search for Recruiter Ag 1 Source to find a recruiter who is located in your area and recruits for your industry. You can also meet the whole team by clicking here.