LinkedIn's Dubious Industry Field
Talking with a friend about the site, she asked why the Peopletoucher Search Engine doesn't have Industry as a search option.
In the days when you actually had to search LinkedIn manually, she used to pick "Non-Profit Management" in the industry field, when searching for accounting job candidates.
While this method might be tempting, it creates a huge problem.
There are many overlapping industries a user can pick.
"Fundraising", "Philanthropy", and "Non-Profit Organization Management" would all fit the bill.
The second reason why industry is dubious: There isn't consensus as to whether industry means your area of expertise, or the primary sector your company operates.
Let's try a test:
- Manager through VP-level
- Currently works at either United Way, American Cancer Society, or The Red Cross
- Within 100 miles of downtown Boston
Your search results may vary, but here's the industries from my first 20 results:
6 - Non-Profit Organization Management
3 - Fund-Raising
3 - Philanthropy
1 - Events Services
1 - Accounting
1 - Information Technology and Services
1 - Marketing and Advertsing
1 - Hospital and Health Care
1 - Hospitality
1 - Government Relations
1 - Public Relations and Communications
There is no consensus as to what Industry actually means.
The good thing is that she's picked the right one to use, as she'll match 30% of the candidates that meet her other criteria. The bad news is she's missing out on 70% of the people who've picked a similar industry, or put down their area of expertise as their industry.
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