Search Companies Based On Your LinkedIn Network

Using a recent enhancement to the Company Search feature on LinkedIn, users can now create results based on their relationships within the targets of the search.  This is actually a great resource for the job seeker or anyone needing to put their network to work….you just need to actually find the search panel first.  This piece will help you get there and provide some suggestions on how to put it to work for you.

Finding the Search

You need to find the Search Companies panel (note to LinkedIn developers – wish this was more direct).  You can get there through performing an initial company search from your LinkedIn home page or by clicking on the Companies Search on the Companies drop down.

You then click on the Search Companies tab.

The search panel is on the left hand side and you can expand the options by clicking the relevant buttons.  What we’re interested in is the new Relationship section.

Explore with some preliminary searches.  Be sure to try various combinations and you’ll start to get a good feel for how vast your network hopefully is.  Here is a graphic showing a sample result (remember, you can scroll over a name to get further details without actually clicking to get the whole profile).  Also note that company results also show if they have job postings.

The Opportunities

OK, so how can you put this new filter to work for you?  Here are just some ideas.

Job Seeker:

• In my local market, what companies do my 1^st level connections work for?
• Can I see the job openings for companies that I have a 1^st or 2^nd level connection to?
• I’m traveling to Miami for an interview; do I have any other good connections there that I should meet up with?
• I’d like to transition to a position in the health care market; what companies are in my network who do I know at them?

Sales:

• What companies represented in the Fortune 100 do I have a direct relationship to?
• What startups and small businesses are in my extended network that I can target?
• I’d like to identify companies to Follow for future prospecting, what companies are most represented in my network?

Additional Resources

There are plenty of resources available on this website to help you explore and leverage LinkedIn.  Some that you might want to explore:

The Power of the New “Follow Company” Feature in LinkedIn

Promote Your Job Search on LinkedIn in Stealth Mode

Unlock Your LinkedIn Network

Using LinkedIn Skills Feature to Research and Be Found

The Power of Adding Your LinkedIn Network to SimplyHired.com

…and more.  Just click on the topic areas over there on the left, or better yet, subscribe so that you are notified as new postings are added to the library.

Michael Kazazis is VP of Operations and Finance / Co-Founder of Censeo Corporation, a leading providing of online assessments and consulting services in the HR marketplace. Michael has an MBA from Rollins College and is an active volunteer and board member for several organizations in the Orlando, FL area.

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