‘Apply with LinkedIn’ — The future of job applications

Professional social networking site, LinkedIn, has launched a new plugin which allows users to apply for jobs directly via the service. The plugin, Apply with LinkedIn, is designed to make applying for a job easy, with the service calling it “the future of job applications”.

On the company’s blog, Technical Product Manager, Jonathan Seitel said that LinkedIn’s goal “is to help every professional put their best foot forward, anywhere across the web, when they take that leap to apply for a new position, a dream job”.

The plugin appears as a button much like, Twitter, Facebook or Google +1, which companies can embed on their site. By clicking the button, users are able to submit their LinkedIn profiles as their resume.

The plugin allows you to send messages to your contacts within the company to ask for a referral once your profile has been submitted. If you don’t know anyone at the company, LinkedIn will show you someone who can give you an introduction.

LinkedIn says this is the real power behind the service, because the company says that statistics show that referrals are the number one source of external hires at companies.

There is a “Saved Jobs” tab under the jobs category on your LinkedIn profile which helps you track and manage all the jobs you’ve applied for around the web.

“We are going to make it easy for you to submit your profile for any job application on the web with one simple click. Some of the first companies to debut ‘Apply with LinkedIn’ button on their company websites (besides our own) include Netflix, TripIt, Photobucket and over a thousand other companies. In addition, we’re also working closely with the top Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to help them and their customers match the best candidates for the right jobs,” said Seitel.

“We are convinced that Apply with LinkedIn represents the simplest way for companies to increase the quality of job applicants,” adds Seitel.