Having the “Open to work” badge displayed on your LinkedIn profile can be an effective way to passively market yourself to recruiters and hiring managers. However, there are also reasons why you may want to toggle it off at times. Here are some pros and cons to consider when deciding whether to display your open to work status.
Pros of Displaying Open to Work
Displaying that you are open to work on LinkedIn can provide several potential benefits:
- Increases visibility – The open to work badge makes it clear at a glance that you are interested in new job opportunities. This signals to recruiters that you are receptive to being contacted.
- Surfaces your profile in searches – LinkedIn’s algorithm may place greater weight on profiles that are open to work, making you more likely to appear in recruiters’ searches.
- Shows your availability – The badge saves recruiters from having to guess whether you are open to considering new roles or passive job seekers.
- Proactive positioning – It allows you to get ahead of the job search process versus waiting to be approached.
- Opens doors – You may receive InMail messages and connection requests from interested recruiters who want to reach out.
In summary, displaying your open to work status casts a wide net and creates opportunities that may not have otherwise arose if you relied solely on recruiters stumbling upon your profile.
Cons of Displaying Open to Work
However, there are also a few potential downsides of keeping the open to work badge enabled:
- Visibility to current employer – Your current boss and coworkers may see that you have the badge on display.
- Too many contacts – You may be inundated with messages from recruiters, some of whom may not be a good fit.
- Appears job hopping – If you just started a new job, it could seem like you are already looking to leave.
- Distraction at work – Having an open status may be mentally distracting if you receive recruiters messages during working hours.
- Passive positioning – It somewhat forces you into a passive job search versus taking a more targeted approach.
The main risk is that displaying your status could cause issues if your employer becomes aware you seem to be open to other offers. You’ll want to weigh this carefully.
When to Display You Are Open
Here are some situations when it may make sense to turn on the open to work badge:
- You are unemployed – This clearly signals your availability if you are currently between jobs.
- Job searching – You are actively applying and want exposure to recruiters.
- Open to a change – You are not urgently looking, but open to considering new opportunities.
- Connection building – You want to expand your professional network and connects.
- Market testing – You want to survey the job market and see what’s available.
Essentially any scenario where you are open to hearing about new roles, keeping the badge on can expand your possibilities.
When to Display You Are Not Open
Here are some situations when it may make sense to toggle off the open to work indicator:
- Happy in current job – You are not looking to leave your current company.
- Recent hire – You just started a new job and want to gain experience in role.
- Job search break – You are taking a break from your job search for personal reasons.
- Specific target – You only want to hear about select roles rather than general opportunities.
- Overwhelmed – You are receiving too many recruiter contacts and need a break.
- Laying low – You do not want your employer seeing your status as open.
Essentially any scenario where you do not want to be contacted, keeping the badge off can give you a break from recruiter messages.
Toggling Your Status On and Off
One strategy is to toggle your open to work status on and off as needed. Here are some tips if you plan to change your status periodically:
- Turn off when content – Display as not open once you are happy with your current role or job search is paused.
- Turn on when looking – Proactively flip it on when ready to start looking at new opportunities again.
- Remove after finding role – Turn off if you have found a new job opportunity you are excited about.
- Temporarily disable – Consider turning it off if you need a break or want to lay low for a period.
- Update settings cautiously – Be careful about quickly toggling it on and off as this can appear indecisive.
Periodically updating your status can help provide visibility when it makes sense while allowing you to disable when needed. Just be thoughtful in your timing.
Conclusion
Displaying your open to work status on LinkedIn can be a smart job search strategy – but also has drawbacks to weigh. Consider keeping the badge enabled when actively looking and open to new roles. But disable it at times when you want to focus on your current job, take a break from messages, or maintain privacy.
Toggling the indicator on and off allows you flexibility. The key is being purposeful in when you display you are open versus not. This approach will allow you to maximize the upside of the badge, while minimizing the downsides based on your specific situation.