In case you missed it, LinkedIn may have just transformed the job search process–and this time, for the better. For the MUCH better.

By launching its new LinkedIn Job Search app, LinkedIn may have just made what can be a fairly painful experience on the job seeker side into something that could be as easy as a couple clicks.

We all know the job search process to be painful, complicated and flat-out exhausting, right?

And let’s face it. A big part of that is on employers (side rant–different discussion).

Lengthy and time-consuming applications sites make it damn-near impossible to even complete a submission.

Recruiters and HR folks rarely get back to you.

And tracking all this stuff is a part-time job in itself.

Enter the LinkedIn Job Search app (and no, I’m not getting paid to promote this).

Here are the transformative benefits, as I see them:

One-step application process

This is the biggee. According to LinkedIn, the “InApply” button allows you to apply for jobs with your LinkedIn profile. Oh happy day! The only problem is this: Not many companies are adopting this quite yet (from my quick searches here in Minneapolis I found a few companies, like Honeywell above, using it, but not too many). Can you IMAGINE applying for a job with just a few simple clicks and submitting your LinkedIn profile? I mean, can you IMAGINE? Let’s just hope companies start adopting this sooner rather than later.

Track your searches in one convenient spot

Using the app, you can easily track all the jobs you either apply for, or merely view. Pretty easy, right? I haven’t looked for a job in some time now, but I remember when I was, this was a pretty manual process. I had a Word doc with all the jobs I had applied for and all the contacts at those companies. It was organized, but it was time-consuming. This way, LinkedIn does a lot of that heavy lifting for you. God bless LinkedIn.

Your own personal recruiter

Now here’s where it really gets fun. With the new app, LinkedIn becomes your own personal recruiter. It will send you notifications of jobs based on the searches you’re making and profiles you’re viewing. Simple, yet brilliant. Truth is, I can’t believe it took them so long to develop this. Let’s say you’re really looking to get a PR job at Target. You set up a search. You’re targeting, well, Target. With this new app, LinkedIn will conceivably recognize that and send you openings that most likely at least touch on PR and send them right to your inbox within the app. Pretty damn slick. And pretty damn time-consuming.

To be clear, I am NOT looking for a full-time job. I’ve just been using the app to test it out 🙂

But, after playing with it for the last week, I will say, if I WERE looking for a job, this would be a pretty valuable tool in the arsenal.

Anyone else tried this out yet? Initial impressions?