Applying for a job can be anxiety-inducing, but LinkedIn has come up with a way to tell you what your chances of getting a job could be — and what you can do to improve them.
A new patent awarded to LinkedIn on Tuesday describes a system that could score your success chances and show your strengths and weaknesses.
The LinkedIn system seeks to fix a problem that the company sees in today's job hunting process: Employers often automatically reject candidates whose experience or education don't match up exactly to a job listing. But the candidate has no idea why they were rejected.
"The user may not be informed about the basis of the rejection. Further, in the case of other users who may be competing for the same requirement, the user may not be informed about the cause," the patent states.
The LinkedIn system is designed to give you that feedback when you apply for a job. LinkedIn could even offer suggestions like taking a professional course or moving to Los Angeles to gain better odds.
There's also a "predicted date of achievement" for how long it would take to get the job offer, according to the patent filing.