Great LinkedIn tip — the “Similar” button

Some job seekers struggle with populating their target employer (LAMP) list.  Here’s a great new tip for doing this that a colleague shared with me.  If you’re struggling to expand beyond well-known employers, try a bright spot analysis on your favorites using LinkedIn’s Similar function.

LinkedIn’s Similar function is basically an expanded version of LinkedIn’s “People Also Viewed” section on any company’s LI page. “People Also Viewed” is great (you can find it on the lower right hand side of the page), but only six employers are displayed, and they’re only displayed as logos, making copying-and-pasting impossible. The Similar button, on the other hand, produces a list of fifty similar organizations rather than six (and in text rather than logos, making a copy-paste operation more feasible), but locating that button is tricky.

To find it, enter the company you’re trying to identify competitors of in the search bar at the top (called “Search for people, jobs, companies, and more…”).  A list of options will auto-complete underneath as you type, but do not click on any of those.  Simply hit “Enter” to get all results once you’re done typing.

Your dream employer will show up in this list.  (If not, change the top search field’s dropdown category from “All” to “Companies.”)  Again, do not click on this employer’s name once you find it — just look at its bottom row of info.  When applicable, the number of people in your network who work there will appear, and to the right of that will be a link called “Similar.”   That’s the one we want.

Click on it, and that list of 50 similar employers will appear.  Not all of this will be similar in industry or location, but those results can be specified in the lower left-hand corner (premium LinkedIn membership is required for some; I only have basic, myself).  Though the results are not perfect, they are a helpful and fast way to populate a LAMP list in industries or cities where you’re not already familiar.  Simply start with your favorite target employer, pull up its Similar list, and build your list from there!