Setting your LinkedIn profile to “open to work” is a great way to privately signal to recruiters that you are looking for new job opportunities. LinkedIn’s open to work feature allows you to control who can see that your profile is open to new roles. Here is a step-by-step guide to setting open to work on the LinkedIn mobile app.
Enable Open to Work
The first step is to enable the open to work setting on your LinkedIn profile. Here is how to do it:
- Open the LinkedIn app on your mobile device.
- Tap on your profile photo in the top left corner.
- Select “View profile” to go to your public profile page.
- Tap “Open to” near the top right of your profile.
- Toggle “Open to work” to the on position.
Once you toggle open to work on, your profile photo will have a small green circle around it, indicating your profile is open to new opportunities.
Customize Your Preferences
After enabling open to work, you can customize your preferences around who can see this status update. Here’s how:
- Go back to your profile page and tap on “Open to” again.
- Tap “Private mode” to change who can see the update.
- Select your preferred audience, such as “Recruiters only”.
The private mode settings allow you to be stealthy and discreet while still signaling to recruiters that you’re interested in new roles. For example, you can limit the open to work status visibility to only recruiters, or recruiters and 2nd degree connections.
Add Details to Your Status
To provide even more information to recruiters, you can add details to your open to work status update:
- From your profile, tap on “Open to” and select “Status details”.
- Add the types of roles you are open to.
- You can also list your preferred locations.
- Consider adding relevant skills or job titles.
- Tap “Show to recruiters” when finished.
Providing this additional context helps recruiters understand the types of opportunities you are seeking and makes it easier for them to identify potential matches.
Turn Off Open to Work Temporarily
If you are not actively looking for a new job or want to temporarily disable your open to work status, you can easily turn it off:
- Go to your profile and tap the “Open to” section.
- Toggle “Open to work” to the off position.
Your profile will no longer display the open to work indicator. Remember to toggle it back on when you want to reactivate your status.
Change Audience Targeting
To change who can see your open to work status at any time, simply adjust the audience targeting:
- Go to your profile and select “Open to”.
- Tap “Private mode” and edit the audience.
- Choose from options like “Connections only” or “Public”.
Regularly updating your audience visibility allows you to find the right balance of privacy and discoverability.
Remove Open to Work Details
If you want to remove the details associated with your open to work status, do the following:
- Go to your profile and tap “Open to”.
- Select “Status details”.
- Delete any text you have added.
- Tap “Show to recruiters” to save the blank details.
This will remove any predefined job titles, skills, or locations from your status. The status itself will still be visible.
Disable Open to Work Entirely
To completely remove open to work from your profile, follow these steps:
- Go to your profile and tap the “Open to” section.
- Toggle “Open to work” to the off position to disable it.
- Tap on “Status details” and clear out any text.
- Lastly, change the audience to “Only me” to hide your status.
Your profile will no longer have any indication that you are open to work. You can always toggle it back on later when you are ready.
Best Practices
Here are some best practices when using open to work on LinkedIn:
- Customize your status details – provide key information about roles and locations you want.
- Be selective about your audience – avoid signaling to your current employer.
- Keep your profile updated – showcase relevant skills and achievements.
- Follow companies you are interested in – stay aware of their job postings.
- Utilize LinkedIn messaging and InMail to connect with recruiters.
- Monitor your profile views – see which companies are looking.
Following these tips will allow you to maximize the benefits of the open to work feature on LinkedIn.
Pro Tips
Here are some advanced tips for really optimizing your LinkedIn open to work experience:
Enable Recruiter Alerts
Turn on job alerts under Saved Jobs to be notified of relevant new openings daily or weekly.
Join Industry or Career Groups
Participate in niche LinkedIn Groups to connect with professionals in your desired field.
Follow Company Pages
Follow company pages you are interested in to stay up-to-date on their latest job postings.
Export Your Profile to PDF
Easily export your LinkedIn profile as a PDF resume to apply for jobs in just one click.
Take Skill Assessments
Complete LinkedIn Skill Assessments to showcase verified skills on your profile.
Troubleshooting
Here are some solutions for common issues that may occur with open to work:
Issue | Solution |
---|---|
Status not appearing | Make sure open to work is toggled on in your profile settings |
Visibility limited unexpectedly | Check your audience targeting in private mode preferences |
Status details not showing | Add details like job titles under status details and save |
Recruiters can’t see status | Expand audience visibility to recruiters or 2nd degree network |
FAQs
Is open to work free to use?
Yes, the open to work feature is free for all LinkedIn members to use.
Does open to work automatically notify recruiters?
No, it simply gives a visual indicator on your profile. Interested recruiters can still reach out to you organically if they come across your profile.
How quickly will recruiters see my status?
Your open to work status should update instantly when you toggle it on your profile.
Can I customize the roles and locations visible to recruiters?
Yes, you can customize the job titles, skills, and location details visible under status details.
Is there a time limit for how long I can be open to work?
No, you can remain open to work for as long as you want. There is no time limit.
Conclusion
Using LinkedIn’s open to work feature is a great way to privately signal to recruiters that you are looking for a new opportunity. With customized audience targeting and rich status details, you can proactively make recruiters aware of your interest without alerting your current employer or wider network. Follow these tips to optimize your LinkedIn profile and make the most of the open to work tool during your job search.