LinkedIn has unveiled its “Apply with LinkedIn” button, which makes it easier for a job seeker to apply for a job by pressing a simple button in the job description. After the user hits the button, they’re able to view their connections at a company and send them a quick note.
Sounds simple, right? Sure, but there are concerns about it.
First, the job seeker must always remember: “If it’s easy for me, it’s easy for my competition.” Obviously, something that’s easier will mean more people will use it, which means employers will get flooded with more applications. Think about it this way: Before this button was introduced, many employers said they were fielding hundreds of candidates per job opening.
For most employers, these profiles will go not to the hiring manager, but to a recruiter. How has going through the recruiter been working for job seekers? Not as well as job seekers like. The number one job of a recruiter early in their search for a candidate is to eliminate as many applicants as possible. With paper (ok, email) resumes, they can do a quick look, a quick search, and toss a resume into the “Aye” or “Nay” pile. With electronic submissions, a quick e-scan of keywords in your resume or LinkedIn profile can send you to either the “move on to the next step” folder, or the trash.
Here are four things to think about for those job openings that will use the “Apply” button.
1) The company is social-media savvy and uses LinkedIn. Are you? Is your profile as good as it can be?
2) The employer will use specific keywords in the profile to determine if you should move on to the next step. Are those keywords in your profile?
3) Make sure your profile is complete, so get those recommendations. This will help you move up in search rankings. Remember, everyone is busy, so don’t expect everyone to jump up and write a recommendation from scratch. Write it for them, making sure it’s something they would say about you. Then ask them to review it and endorse you.
4) Since more employers are social-media savvy, they may look in their networks (and yours) to see who you know at the company and ask them about you. You need to beat them to the punch and either build your network at the company, or reach out to those in the company and make sure they know you have applied.
Unfortunately, you as a job seeker have no choice; you have to use this button to keep up with your competition. But just using it doesn’t give you an edge. It’s similar to wearing nice clothes to a job interview: Everyone will do it, so make sure you keep thinking about how to stand out.
Have you applied to employers through LinkedIn? How did it work out for you?
