Having “open to work” displayed on your LinkedIn profile has become an increasingly common practice for those seeking new job opportunities. But is this LinkedIn feature actually effective for job seekers? Or could it potentially backfire and hurt your career prospects? There are pros and cons to consider when deciding whether to activate the open to work setting.
What does open to work on LinkedIn mean?
The open to work feature on LinkedIn allows you to signal to recruiters and your professional network that you are actively seeking new job opportunities. When enabled, a banner appears across your profile photo that says “Open to work” and tags you as an active job seeker in LinkedIn searches. You can customize the banner to indicate whether you are open to job opportunities, recruiting help, or new career options.
Who can see your open to work status?
By default, the open to work banner is visible to all LinkedIn members. However, you can choose to limit visibility to only people who are not your 1st-degree connections. This allows you to privately signal to recruiters that you are available, without notifying your current coworkers or company.
Pros of having open to work on your LinkedIn profile
Here are some potential benefits of displaying your open to work status on LinkedIn:
Increased visibility to recruiters
When recruiters search LinkedIn for potential candidates, profiles with the open to work banner are prominently displayed. This gives you leg up in being discovered and contacted about job opportunities you may be qualified for.
Expanded professional network
The open to work setting tends to attract new LinkedIn connection requests, especially from recruiters. This can expand your professional network and connect you to new possibilities.
Staying on recruiters’ radar
Even if you’re not urgently looking, having open to work active keeps you fresh in recruiters’ minds for future opportunities. They may keep you in mind for roles aligned with your skills and experience.
Proactive career management
Displaying your employment availability can be a proactive way to take charge of your career progression, rather than just passively waiting for opportunities.
Validation and morale boost
If displaying open to work results in more messages from interested recruiters, it can positively reinforce your confidence and skills as a candidate.
| Pros of Open to Work on LinkedIn |
|---|
| Increased visibility to recruiters |
| Expanded professional network |
| Staying on recruiters’ radar |
| Proactive career management |
| Validation and morale boost |
Cons of having open to work on LinkedIn
However, there are also some potential downsides for job seekers to consider:
Signaling disloyalty to current employer
If coworkers and managers see the open to work banner, they may perceive you as disloyal and one foot out the door. This could strain relationships and cost you strong workplace references.
Overeager appearance
Being open to work at all times can look overly eager and desperate, even if this is not your intention. Some hiring managers may prefer more subtle expressions of interest.
Attracting irrelevant opportunities
Non-targeted recruiters may contact you about positions that are below your level or not in your desired field. This could lead to wasting time on dead-end conversations.
Security and privacy risks
Scammers often target active job seekers. Displaying your employment availability widely may expose you to recruiting frauds or identity theft schemes.
Misrepresentation concerns
If you are still employed, some may see openly seeking other jobs as deceptive or contrary to company policies about outside employment.
| Cons of Open to Work on LinkedIn |
|---|
| Signaling disloyalty to current employer |
| Overeager appearance |
| Attracting irrelevant opportunities |
| Security and privacy risks |
| Misrepresentation concerns |
Best practices for using open to work on LinkedIn
Here are some tips to utilize the open to work feature most effectively while minimizing potential backlash:
Keep your LinkedIn profile polished
To attract relevant opportunities, your profile should be updated with your latest experience, skills, and accomplishments. Consider adding examples of work projects and quantifiable achievements.
Customize your open to work banner
Craft the banner in a way that communicates your specific interests, such as “Seeking new data analytics opportunities in healthcare” or “Open to senior product management roles.”
Be selective with visibility
Limit visibility of your employment availability to 2nd-degree connections and recruiters, rather than your entire network. Avoid signaling that you are actively job hunting to current colleagues.
Respond selectively
Not every message merits a response when open to work. Politely decline or ignore recruiters that contact you about irrelevant positions not aligned with your experience and interests.
Remove when not active search
Take down your open to work banner during periods when you are not urgently looking. You can always re-enable it later to stay visible during active job hunts.
| Best Practices for Open to Work on LinkedIn |
|---|
| Keep your LinkedIn profile polished |
| Customize your open to work banner |
| Be selective with visibility |
| Respond selectively |
| Remove when not active search |
Should you use open to work?
Here are some final considerations when deciding if openly signaling your job search availability is right for you:
If you are discreetly looking while employed
Limit visibility to 2nd-degree connections and recruiters only to avoid conflict with current employer.
If you are urgently looking for a new job
Displaying open to work can accelerate and expand your search, making it worth the risks.
If you are just passively looking
Keep your open to work status disabled until you engage in an active search to avoid overexposure.
If you have a strong employer brand
Prominently displaying open to work can reinforce your personal brand and attract exciting new roles.
If you are early or mid-career
The risks of signaling disloyalty may outweigh benefits of open to work visibility early in your career.
The bottom line is that the open to work tool is neither universally good nor bad. Thoughtfully weighing the pros and cons based on your specific circumstances can help you decide if and how to effectively leverage this LinkedIn feature.
Activating open to work visibility does not guarantee job search success. But it can serve as one element of a proactive career management strategy when used judiciously. Other key job hunting activities like networking, applying to openings, and interview prep will still be essential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about having open to work displayed on your LinkedIn profile:
Does open to work notify your connections?
No, enabling the open to work setting does not proactively notify your 1st-degree connections. It simply displays the banner on your profile for others to notice. You can choose whether to announce it separately.
Can you see who views your open to work banner?
LinkedIn does not show who specifically views or clicks on your open to work banner. You can only see your general profile view analytics.
Should open to work be used by recent graduates?
Yes, displaying open to work can expose recent graduates to many more entry-level and associate job opportunities they may not find otherwise.
Is it bad to keep open to work enabled while employed?
Continually signaling you are open to work while staying in your current job long-term may look disingenuous. Consider disabling it during periods focused on your current role.
Can competitors see your open to work status?
You can limit open to work visibility to exclude 1st-degree connections to prevent visibility by direct competitors. But some industry competitors may still see your status depending on their network connection to you.
| Frequently Asked Questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Does open to work notify your connections? | No, it just displays a banner |
| Can you see who views your banner? | No, only general profile views |
| Should recent graduates use it? | Yes, it exposes them to opportunities |
| Is it bad to use while employed? | Can seem disingenuous long-term |
| Can competitors see your status? | You can limit visibility to exclude them |
Conclusion
Displaying your openness to work on LinkedIn can be a beneficial job search tool when used strategically. But it also comes with reputation and relationship risks to manage carefully. Thoughtfully evaluating whether the pros outweigh cons for your specific situation is advised.
The ideal approach is balancing open to work visibility to expand possibilities, while limiting overexposure that could backfire. Keeping your LinkedIn profile polished, customizing your banner, and being selective with visibility settings help strike this balance.
While open to work on LinkedIn serves a purpose, it is not a magic bullet for landing a job. Maximizing your job hunt success still requires diligently networking, applying to openings, interviewing, and showcasing your fit for the right opportunities.
