What To Do Before You Easy Apply On LinkedIn

Goodbye, Easy Apply... Hello, Apply Connect! That's right, Easy Apply on LinkedIn (as we've known it) is new and improved.

There have been countless discussions on LinkedIn and elsewhere online about avoiding the Easy Apply button when applying for jobs on LinkedIn. Rumors that recruiters ignore Easy Apply applications and only look at applications from the company's website are abundant, but understanding what recruiters see on their end of the hiring process is the key to an effective application.

Apply Connect, formerly Easy Apply, is an integration that companies can add to their Applicant Tracking system (ATS) that allows recruiters to seamlessly add job postings to LinkedIn and automatically notify candidates of their application status.

Easy Apply had several deficiencies which made the applications less desirable to consider. For example, there was no feature in place to filter out candidates who were not qualified. Anyone on LinkedIn could use Easy Apply to submit a resume with no "knock-out" qualification questions to answer. Hundreds of 1-click applicants wouldn't be qualified, and there wasn't an efficient way to filter through the applicants except for what information was found on their profiles like location and job title.

The new and improved Apply Connect integration provides a more detailed snapshot of an applicant's profile, an opportunity to ask custom questions (similar to a company's website application), and a better candidate experience with 1-click messages and automated application notifications.

What does this mean for you??With 94%?of recruiters using LinkedIn to find skilled candidates, the new and improved Easy Apply button could be a way to get in front of hiring decision-makers faster than simply applying on a company's website. There are a few things you should do to maximize your chances of landing an interview before you Easy Apply on LinkedIn.?

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1 | Double-check That Your Experience Is Up-to-Date

When applying for a job on LinkedIn using the Easy Apply button, you’re opting to share your LinkedIn profile information with the job poster. The previous Easy Apply integration only shared?your?name, profile photo, level of connection to the recruiter, location, and a shortened headline. That's all employers had to determine if you were a potential match for a job at a glance.

The new Easy Apply button also provides a summary of your years of experience, recent position titles and companies, skills match data, and applicant highlights before prompting a recruiter to view your profile for more information. You don’t want to apply if you haven’t added your most recent work history to your Experience section, let alone completed your profile.

Use that Description field to describe your skills in action and highlight achievements that are most relevant to your job target to maximize your chances of being contacted for the next steps. This will naturally add keywords to?your profile.

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2 | Read The Job Posting Carefully

Don’t just skim over the job posting before you click that Easy Apply button! Read through the job posting to identify the top qualifications, desired skills, and traits that they’re looking for in the ideal candidate. Review the company information and explore the Company Page to make sure you’ll be a good fit for its culture or work environment. Use the information you find to make sure your profile positions you as the best fit for the job and the company before you apply.

While your LinkedIn profile doesn’t need to be as targeted as a resume that you submit for an online job application (more on that below), your LinkedIn profile should clearly indicate that you understand the goals of the roles you’re applying for. If your LinkedIn profile gives a job poster any reason to question why you’re applying for that specific job, they’ll likely move on to an applicant who is evidently a better fit.

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