Apply with LinkedIn is Great, Unless…
More and more applicant tracking systems (the software that companies use to track applicants for their open jobs) are utilizing a function that allows prospective candidates to apply to their positions using their LinkedIn profiles. In fact, I would say that any system that does not have this feature is falling far behind the times and losing candidates in the process.
The “Apply with LinkedIn” function allows the applicant tracking system (known as an ATS) to connect with the candidate’s LinkedIn profile and auto-populate many of the fields that the ATS requires the candidate to fill out. This includes location, recent employers, and can even use the entire LinkedIn profile in place of a resume. All of the stuff that can be so time consuming and annoying, so yeah, great feature, saves time, and makes life easier.
This my dear friends is where the “Unless…” comes in. I see more and more candidates using this feature and I am all for it. The problem arises when people apply with an incomplete or sparsely populated profile. We all have friends and colleagues with profiles like this. They list their name, title, location, and maybe a few recent employers; but not much else. They don’t have a filled out summary or skills section and don’t list what their responsibilities in each employment section.
This, as you can imagine, is problematic for the managers and recruiters that are reviewing the applicants. We simply don’t get enough information to properly be able to evaluate the candidate.
Now some people think that if they attach a resume to the application, everything will be well. It is certainly better than not attaching a resume, but the problem here is how that applicant tracking systems display the information to the managers and recruiters. If you used the “Apply with LinkedIn” function, the ATS will have a copy of your profile in the resume section that is first displayed to anyone reviewing the application. The attached resume is buried on a secondary tab, so it has to be sought out and downloaded before it can be viewed.
In the same way that candidates want a quick and easy way to apply to positions, recruiters and managers want a quick and easy way to review the candidates.
As a candidate, you want to make the best impression right away. The best way to do this, is to make your LinkedIn profile every bit as filled out and appealing as your resume. Fill out the summary, list your key skills. List your employers and the dates for them and include information about your responsibilities at each one. Doing this will ensure that you make the most of the “Apply with LinkedIn” function and get the positive attention from managers and recruiters that you deserve.