LinkedIn thinks it can tell you how likely you are to get a job

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.

Talent business boost

Because it's only a patent there's no knowing whether success scores will be coming to LinkedIn any time soon. LinkedIn confirmed that the company was awarded a patent, but a spokeswoman reiterated that "patent acquisitions do not necessarily foreshadow new product innovations."

For now, premium account holders can already see where they rank when they view a job posting based on their experience and company. That percentage only identifies where a person falls compared to other applicants, but not the likelihood of success or the weaknesses in an application.

Offering recommendations, though, could boost part of LinkedIn's talent business.

The company bought Lynda.com, a site filled with online tutorials, and has been trying to turn it into a money maker for the company. Some things, like a move to LA to improve odds, are out of LinkedIn's hands, but pushing its job training programs could easily fall into LinkedIn's priorities.

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