LinkedIn has always been the “different” social networking site. The whole platform has a more grown-up feel, and people who use LinkedIn use it as a business networking tool. Drawing from its target market, LinkedIn has made strives to create a platform that’s business-oriented. From connecting with colleagues to posting resumes, LinkedIn truly works as a job-minded site.

Spending more time to make LinkedIn an even better networking tool makes a lot of sense. That’s why LinkedIn developers have created a job tool that will make applying for any job opening a cinch – straight from your LinkedIn account. If you are in search of a job, you’ll want to read about this new LinkedIn tool.

Apply For Jobs through LinkedIn

The new LinkedIn job button is a lot like Facebook’s “like” button. If you happen upon a company that’s hiring, and you want to apply for a job that the company is offering, you can click the “Apply With LinkedIn” button. You can then submit your LinkedIn profile, let the HR department know who your contact within the company is (if you have a referral), and cross your fingers. You can also send a quick message to someone you know who works for a certain company, and ask this person to refer you for a specific job.

If you’re the perfect fit for a job, you’ll hear back from the hiring department. Some candidates may even be connected via LinkedIn. LinkedIn has also done away with the standard cover letter, since applying for a job through the social networking platform doesn’t require you to wax poetic about yourself before sending in your resume.

Planning Done Right

The “Apply With LinkedIn” option is an example of social networking planning done correctly. LinkedIn developers took their time crafting this option, made sure it worked, and then released it to the job market. Since people already use LinkedIn to look for jobs and job contacts, the new job button simply makes sense.

LinkedIn also allows users to create a “Saved Job” folder. Once a resume has been sent, you can add the job title to your Saved Job folder. This way, you’ll know what job you’ve applied to simply by looking at your job folder. Mixing up job applications is something that people who apply for frequent posts are familiar with. LinkedIn has made keeping things straight easier.

The End of the Resume

LinkedIn profiles read like resumes. Job qualifications are clearly outlined, referrals are pinned directly to profiles, and job contacts are defined. In short, LinkedIn may eliminate the need for a traditional resume. Now that the LinkedIn job button has arrived, there’s no need for companies to spend hours poring over different resumes. Deciding on the right candidate is merely a matter of viewing different profiles.

There is, seemingly, only one problem with the LinkedIn job button. Some people may submit a profile to a company more than once. At present, there is no way for companies to control who can and cannot submit a profile. In addition, some people may apply for jobs with or without proper qualifications. Then again, this happens when traditional resumes are required too.