The latest innovation from professional networking website LinkedIn is a button that allows you to attach your LinkedIn profile instead of a resume/CV. So what, I said at first. And I had a point (I often do).

In the interests of full disclosure (own trumpet blowing alert) CML has just become one of the first recruitment agencies in the world to incorporate the button on their live job listings. Normally something of a social media skeptic, whilst I can’t claim to have been up to my elbows in unwieldy website code, what I learned in the process of overseeing the project led me to believe this one might finally change the game in LinkedIn’s favour.

Here’s a very quick rundown on how the button works. Each job listing has an “Apply with LinkedIn” button as well as the usual buttons for applying and saving the job. Pressing it opens a dialogue confirming that your LinkedIn profile is going to be sent as an application for the job (i.e. in place of a CV) with a space to provide a short cover letter. After confirming/sending an application, the user is prompted to connect with someone at the agency or employer with a view to getting a personal referral.

There are two main benefits of this for candidates. First, they don’t need to have a CV handy in order to apply. Second, a LinkedIn profile has the potential to provide much richer information than a common-or-garden resume, including picture, validated recommendations, links to blogs, articles and other social media such as Twitter. (If yours does not meet its full potential then you might want to contact our Social Media Consultant Anjuli!).

The third benefit is more for the agency or employer than the candidate. Whereas a CV will remain in whatever form it was originally provided, a LinkedIn profile is a dynamic, living record including (hopefully) up-to-date employment history, achievements, contact details, picture, latest earth-shattering tweets and so on.

Thus have the lines between a LinkedIn profile and a CV become blurred. LinkedIn is for all intents and purposes your online CV, version 2.0.