Product Management Case Study

Reimagining LinkedIn Jobs for Student Internship Application Management

An end-to-end product management case study — from user research and journey mapping to root-cause analysis, feature prioritization, MVP definition, wireframe design, and success metrics.

Role Product Manager
Product LinkedIn Jobs
Focus Student Internship Experience
Duration Self-Initiated Project
01 · RESEARCH
User Research
02 · DEFINE
Journey Mapping
03 · DIAGNOSE
Root Cause Analysis
04 · PRIORITIZE
Feature Prioritization
05 · DESIGN
MVP & Wireframes
06 · MEASURE
Success Metrics
Project Summary

A centralized way to track internship applications, inside the product students already use.

This case study explores how LinkedIn Jobs could improve the internship application experience for students by introducing a centralized application tracking system. The project follows a structured product management process: user research, journey mapping, root cause analysis, feature prioritization, MVP definition, wireframe design, and success metrics.

Project Details
Project
LinkedIn Jobs Case Study
Role
Product Manager
Product
LinkedIn Jobs
Focus Area
Student Internship Experience
Duration
Self-Initiated Project
Deliverables
User Research, Wireframes, MVP, Success Metrics
Skills Used
Product Thinking User Research User Journey Mapping Root Cause Analysis Feature Prioritization MVP Definition Wireframing Success Metrics
Overview

LinkedIn is one of the primary platforms used by students to discover internships and entry-level job opportunities. While the platform enables job discovery at scale, the application journey often becomes difficult to manage as students apply to multiple roles simultaneously.

This case study aims to investigate the challenges students face throughout the internship application process, identify key pain points through user research, and propose product improvements that enhance the overall experience.

Problem Statement

Students applying for internships and entry-level jobs often struggle to find relevant opportunities, track application progress, manage deadlines, and follow up effectively.

The objective of this study is to identify the most critical pain points in the student job application journey and propose a product solution supported by user research.

"A poor application management experience can lead to missed opportunities, lower engagement, and frustration during the job search process."

Assumptions — not yet validated through user research
  • Students apply to multiple internships at the same time.
  • Many students rely on spreadsheets, notes, or memory to track applications.
  • Students often miss follow-ups or deadlines.
  • LinkedIn does not provide enough visibility into the application journey.
  • Improved tracking could enhance the overall job search experience.
Research

Research Plan

A mixed-methods approach — quantitative reach through a survey, qualitative depth through interviews — aimed at students actively navigating the internship search.

30–50Online survey
target responses
10–15User interviews
target participants
Target Audience
Second Year Students Third Year Students Final Year Students Recent Graduates
Research Goals
  1. Understand how students search for internships and jobs.
  2. Identify the biggest challenges students face during the application process.
  3. Understand how students currently track their applications.
  4. Identify situations in which students miss opportunities.
  5. Identify opportunities to improve the product.
Survey Instrument

Survey Questions

Ten questions designed to surface search behavior, tracking habits, frustration points, and satisfaction with LinkedIn Jobs today.

Q1
Which year are you currently in?
2nd Year3rd YearFinal YearRecent Graduate
Q2
How actively are you currently searching for internships/jobs?
Not SearchingOccasionallyActivelyVery Actively
Q3
Which platforms do you primarily use for internship/job search?
LinkedInInternshalaUnstopCompany Career PagesReferralsOthers
Q4
Approximately how many internships/jobs have you applied to in the last 3 months?
0–56–2021–5050+
Q5
How do you currently keep track of your applications?
MemoryNotes AppExcel SheetNotionI Don't Track Them
Q6
What is the most frustrating part of the application process?
Finding relevant jobsTracking applicationsMissing deadlinesFollowing upInterview prep
Q7
Have you ever forgotten the status of an application?
YesNo
Q8
Have you ever missed an opportunity because you forgot to follow up or track an application?
YesNo
Q9
On a scale of 1–10, how satisfied are you with LinkedIn Jobs?
1 — 10 rating scale
Q10
If you could improve one thing about LinkedIn Jobs, what would it be?
Open response
Synthesis

Key Research Insights

These insights were synthesized to understand common challenges faced by students during internship applications, and were used to guide product decisions throughout this case study.

01
Students apply across multiple platforms
Students typically use a combination of LinkedIn, Internshala, Unstop, company career pages, and referrals instead of relying on a single platform.
Implication — the job search journey is fragmented across multiple channels.
02
Students struggle to track applications
Many students apply to dozens of opportunities simultaneously and often lose visibility into application status after submission.
Implication — application management becomes difficult as application volume increases.
03
Follow-ups are inconsistent
Students rarely maintain a structured process for following up with recruiters or tracking interview progress.
Implication — missed follow-ups can lead to missed opportunities.
04
Relevant job discovery remains difficult
Students spend significant time filtering through irrelevant roles before finding opportunities matching their profile.
Implication — poor relevance increases search effort and reduces efficiency.
05
Students lack a centralized dashboard
Application status, deadlines, interview schedules, and recruiter communication are managed across multiple tools.
Implication — students need a unified view of their job search journey.
Prioritization

From opportunity areas to a single priority problem

Problems were prioritized using an Impact vs. Frequency framework. High-frequency problems affecting a large number of students, and significantly impacting the internship application journey, were assigned the highest priority.

Opportunity Areas
OpportunityImpact
Application TrackingHigh
Follow-Up RemindersHigh
Centralized DashboardHigh
Job Relevance ImprovementsMedium
Referral ManagementMedium
Problem Prioritization
ProblemFreq.SeverityPriority
Application TrackingHighHighP1
Missing Follow-UpsHighHighP1
Relevant Job DiscoveryHighMediumP2
No Centralized ViewHighMediumP2
Key Observation

Among the identified challenges, Application Tracking emerged as the highest-priority problem due to its high frequency and severity. Students applying to multiple internships often struggle to track application status, manage follow-ups, and maintain visibility into their job search pipeline. Since application tracking is closely linked to follow-ups and application visibility, addressing this problem has the potential to improve multiple parts of the internship application journey.

Students applying to multiple internships and jobs lack a structured way to track application progress, interview stages, recruiter communication, and follow-up actions within LinkedIn.

User Persona

Meet Kushal

The primary persona grounding every product decision in this case study.

K
Kushal
Age 21 · Final Year Engineering Student
Career Goal — Secure a Product, Analyst, or Technology Internship before graduation

Job Search Behavior

  • Uses LinkedIn regularly to search for opportunities
  • Applies to multiple internships simultaneously
  • Uses multiple platforms such as LinkedIn, Internshala, and company career pages
  • Tracks applications inconsistently

Goals

  • Discover relevant opportunities quickly
  • Stay organized throughout the application process
  • Avoid missing deadlines and follow-ups
  • Improve chances of securing interviews

Frustrations

  • Losing track of submitted applications
  • Forgetting recruiter follow-ups
  • Managing multiple applications simultaneously
  • Lack of visibility into application progress

Needs

  • A centralized application dashboard
  • Application status tracking
  • Follow-up reminders
  • Better visibility into the hiring pipeline
User Journey Map

Six stages, six points of friction

Mapping Kushal's path from job discovery to interview reveals where uncertainty and effort accumulate.

01
Job Discovery
User Action
Searches for internships on LinkedIn
Pain Point
Relevant jobs difficult to identify
02
Job Evaluation
User Action
Reviews job descriptions and requirements
Pain Point
Comparing multiple opportunities is difficult
03
Application Submission
User Action
Applies to multiple roles
Pain Point
No structured record of submitted applications
04
Waiting Period
User Action
Waits for recruiter response
Pain Point
Uncertainty about application status
05
Follow-Up
User Action
Attempts to follow up with recruiters
Pain Point
Follow-ups are often forgotten
06
Interview Process
User Action
Manages multiple interview rounds
Pain Point
Interview schedules become difficult to track
Key Insights from the User Journey
  1. Students spend significant time identifying relevant internship opportunities.
  2. The application process becomes increasingly difficult to manage as the number of submitted applications grows.
  3. There is no centralized location where students can view application status, recruiter communication, and upcoming actions.
  4. Follow-ups are highly dependent on memory or external tools, resulting in missed opportunities.
  5. The waiting and follow-up stages create the highest level of uncertainty for students.
Opportunity Identification
  • Provide a centralized dashboard for application management.
  • Enable application status tracking throughout the hiring process.
  • Introduce automated follow-up reminders.
  • Improve visibility into the student's application pipeline.
  • Reduce uncertainty during the waiting period.
Diagnosis

Root Cause Analysis

Core problem — students struggle to effectively track and manage internship applications after submission. Why does this happen?

01

Applications are spread across multiple platforms

Students apply through LinkedIn, Internshala, Unstop, company career pages, referrals, and other job portals. As a result, application information becomes fragmented and difficult to manage.

02

No structured tracking process

Most students rely on memory, screenshots, notes, or spreadsheets to track applications. These methods are often inconsistent and difficult to maintain.

03

Lack of visibility after application submission

Once an application is submitted, students receive limited visibility into its progress. This creates uncertainty regarding the next steps.

04

Follow-ups depend on memory

Students rarely have a systematic reminder mechanism for recruiter follow-ups, resulting in missed opportunities.

05

Interview processes are managed separately

Interview schedules, recruiter communication, and application status updates are often stored in different places, creating additional complexity.

Key Insight

The primary issue is not the application process itself. The core problem is the absence of a centralized system that helps students monitor application progress, manage follow-ups, and maintain visibility throughout the hiring journey.

Solution Ideation

From five ideas to one MVP direction

Based on the identified user pain points and root causes, multiple solution approaches were explored before selecting a final direction.

SolutionDescription
Application TrackerAllows students to monitor application status across opportunities
Follow-Up Reminder SystemSends reminders for recruiter follow-ups and pending actions
Job Search DashboardProvides a centralized view of applications and upcoming activities
AI Job MatchingImproves discovery of relevant internship opportunities
Interview Management ToolHelps students organize interview schedules and preparation

Application Tracker, Dashboard, and Follow-Up Reminders were selected for the MVP because together they address the highest-priority user pain points while requiring moderate implementation effort. More advanced capabilities such as AI Job Matching and Interview Preparation were intentionally deferred to future releases.

SolutionUser ImpactEffortPriority
Application TrackerHighMediumP1
Follow-Up Reminder SystemHighLowP1
Job Search DashboardHighMediumP1
AI Job MatchingMediumHighP2
Interview Management ToolMediumMediumP2
Feature Prioritization

Weighing impact against effort

To determine which features should be included in the initial product experience, features were evaluated based on user impact and implementation effort.

FeatureUser ImpactEffortPriority
Application TrackerHighMediumP1
Follow-Up RemindersHighLowP1
Centralized DashboardHighMediumP1
AI Job MatchingMediumHighP2
Interview Preparation HubMediumHighP2
MVP Scope

What made the cut — and what didn't

The initial product experience focuses on solving the most critical user pain points around application management and follow-ups.

✓

Included in MVP

  • Application Tracker
  • Application Dashboard
  • Follow-Up Reminders
–

Excluded from MVP

  • AI Job Matching
  • Interview Preparation Tools
  • Referral Management
Proposed Solution

A centralized Application Management System, inside LinkedIn Jobs

The solution enables students to track application status, monitor hiring progress, manage follow-ups, and view all active applications from a single dashboard — reducing uncertainty and improving visibility throughout the internship application journey.

Proposed User Flow

Student discovers a job opportunity on LinkedIn.

Student submits an application.

Student clicks "Track Application".

Application is automatically added to the Application Dashboard.

Student updates application status as the hiring process progresses.

System generates reminders for pending follow-ups.

Student views all applications from a centralized dashboard.

Student manages interviews and tracks progress until the final outcome.

Why This Flow?

The proposed flow reduces the need for external tracking tools and provides students with a centralized location to monitor application progress, manage follow-ups, and maintain visibility throughout the hiring process.

Design intent — "Track Application" sits directly alongside Apply, so tracking begins at the moment of highest intent rather than requiring students to remember to add it later.
Feature Breakdown

Three features, one connected system

The proposed solution consists of three core features designed to address the most critical user pain points identified during the research process.

FEATURE 01
Application Tracker
P1 · High Impact
Objective

Help students monitor the progress of every internship application from submission to final outcome.

Key Functionality
  • Add applications to a tracking system
  • View current application status
  • Update status as the hiring process progresses
Status Options
Applied Resume Shortlisted Online Assessment Interview Round 1 Interview Round 2 Offer Received Rejected
User benefit — students gain visibility into every application and no longer need to rely on memory or spreadsheets.
FEATURE 02
Application Dashboard
P1 · High Impact
Objective

Provide a centralized view of all active internship applications.

Key Functionality
  • View all applications in one place
  • Filter applications by status
  • Monitor interview progress
  • Track application outcomes
Dashboard Metrics
Total Applications Active Applications Interviews Scheduled Offers Received
User benefit — students can understand the current state of their internship search at a glance.
FEATURE 03
Follow-Up Reminders
P1 · High Impact · Low Effort
Objective

Reduce missed recruiter follow-ups and improve application management.

Key Functionality
  • Reminder after application submission
  • Interview reminders
  • Recruiter follow-up reminders
Reminder Examples
Follow up with recruiter after 7 days Upcoming interview tomorrow Assessment deadline approaching
User benefit — students are less likely to miss important actions during the hiring process.
Feature Prioritization Summary

The MVP focuses on three features — Application Tracker, Application Dashboard, and Follow-Up Reminders. These directly address the highest-priority user pain points identified during the research phase while maintaining a focused and achievable product scope.

Success Metrics

Measuring adoption, engagement, and visibility

A set of success metrics were defined to measure user adoption, engagement, and application management efficiency.

+30%
Applications Tracked
Percentage of submitted applications added to the tracker
+25%
Follow-Up Completion Rate
Percentage of scheduled follow-ups completed by users
+40%
Dashboard Adoption Rate
Percentage of users actively using the dashboard
+15%
Weekly Active Job Seekers
Users engaging with the application management system weekly
+35%
Application Visibility Score
Percentage of applications with updated status information
North Star Metric

Tracked Applications per Active Job Seeker

This metric measures the average number of internship applications actively tracked by a student within the platform. It was selected because it directly reflects the core value of the solution: helping students manage and monitor their internship applications effectively.

Tracked Applications per Active Job Seeker was selected because it directly measures whether users are consistently using the proposed application management system. Increased adoption of application tracking naturally drives dashboard engagement, reminder usage, and overall product value.

Wireframe Planning

Four screens, end to end

The proposed solution consists of three primary interfaces — Application Tracker, Application Dashboard, and Follow-Up Reminder System — shown here across four core screens.

linkedin.com/jobs/view/product-management-intern
Wireframe of the LinkedIn job application page showing the Product Management Intern listing with Apply and Track Application buttons
Screen 01 / Job Application Page

Where tracking begins

Objective
Allow users to add a submitted application to the tracking system.
Primary Action
Track Application
Key Elements
  • Job Title
  • Company Name
  • Apply Button
  • Track Application Button
Design rationale — the "Track Application" button is placed alongside the Apply button to encourage users to begin managing applications immediately after submission.
linkedin.com/jobs/tracker/dashboard
Wireframe of the Application Dashboard showing total applications, active applications, interviews scheduled, offers received, and an application table
Screen 02 / Application Dashboard

Every application, one screen

Objective
Provide a centralized view of all applications.
Key Elements
  • Total Applications
  • Active Applications
  • Interviews Scheduled
  • Offers Received
Application Table
  • Company
  • Role
  • Status
  • Last Updated
Design rationale — the dashboard provides a high-level overview of the user's internship pipeline, enabling quick understanding of current progress.
linkedin.com/jobs/tracker/status
Wireframe of the Application Status screen for Swiggy Product Management Intern, showing a status dropdown and available statuses
Screen 03 / Status Management

Updating progress, without guesswork

Objective
Allow users to update application progress.
Available Statuses
Applied Online Assessment Interview Round 1 Interview Round 2 Offer Received Rejected
Design rationale — status updates reduce uncertainty and help students maintain visibility throughout the hiring process.
linkedin.com/jobs/tracker/reminders
Wireframe of the Reminder Center showing pending reminders, interviews this week, follow-ups pending, and an upcoming reminders table
Screen 04 / Reminder Center

Nothing important gets forgotten

Objective
Help users manage recruiter follow-ups.
Reminder Examples
  • Follow up after 7 days
  • Upcoming interview tomorrow
  • Assessment deadline approaching
Design rationale — timely reminders reduce missed follow-ups and encourage users to stay engaged during long hiring cycles.
Expected Impact

Reducing friction, improving visibility

The proposed solution is expected to improve the internship application experience by helping students organize, track, and manage their job applications more effectively — reducing friction during the application journey while improving visibility into hiring progress.

User Impact

  • Students can manage every internship application from one centralized dashboard.
  • Reduced dependence on spreadsheets, notes, and memory.
  • Improved visibility into application progress.
  • Fewer missed recruiter follow-ups and interview deadlines.
  • Better organization during high-volume internship seasons.

Business Impact

  • Increased engagement with LinkedIn Jobs.
  • More weekly active users.
  • Increased retention through recurring dashboard use.
  • Stronger differentiation from competing job platforms.
  • Increased adoption of LinkedIn as an end-to-end career management platform.
Product Success — if successfully implemented, the solution is expected to:
  • ✓Increase application tracking adoption.
  • ✓Improve follow-up completion rates.
  • ✓Encourage students to return regularly to monitor their application progress.
  • ✓Deliver a more organized and less stressful internship application experience.
Key Learnings

What this project reinforced about product thinking

This project helped develop a structured product thinking approach by moving from user research to solution design and success measurement.

Conclusion

This case study explored how LinkedIn Jobs could better support students throughout the internship application journey.

Through user research, journey mapping, root cause analysis, feature prioritization, and wireframe design, it proposed a centralized application management solution to simplify application tracking and reduce missed opportunities.

The project demonstrates a structured product management approach that balances user needs, business value, and measurable product outcomes.