Many job seekers on LinkedIn have been using the “Open to Work” badge to signal to recruiters and hiring managers that they are actively looking for new job opportunities. However, there are some potential downsides to using this feature that job seekers should consider before turning on the “Open to Work” setting.
What is the Open to Work Feature?
The “Open to Work” feature on LinkedIn allows users to add a frame around their profile picture that says “Open to Work.” This signals to your network and recruiters that you are actively seeking new job opportunities. When you toggle this setting on, the “Open to Work” badge will be prominently displayed on your profile and in search results.
Some key things to know about the Open to Work feature:
- It’s completely optional – users can turn it on or off at any time
- When enabled, it’s prominently displayed on your profile to signal you’re open to new opportunities
- You can customize the badge to say if you’re open to job opportunities, consulting offers, or new projects
- Your job seeking preferences, desired job types, locations and more will be highlighted when the badge is enabled
The idea is that by displaying the Open to Work badge, you can easily signal to recruiters, hiring managers, and your network that you’re interested in hearing about new job opportunities that may be a good fit.
Potential Downsides to Using the Open to Work Feature
While the Open to Work badge can help connect you with new job opportunities, there are some potential downsides to consider:
It Could Signal to Your Current Employer You’re Looking
One risk of using the Open to Work feature on LinkedIn is that your current employer may see that you have the badge displayed. Even though LinkedIn has settings to exclude your connections from seeing your badge, it can sometimes be visible if your employer is actively searching LinkedIn.
Having your employer or manager realize you are openly job searching could be an awkward conversation at best or damage that relationship at worst. So that is a risk to consider if you do enable the Open to Work setting.
You May Get Overwhelmed by Recruiter Outreach
When you turn on the Open to Work badge, it essentially signals to recruiters that you are open game for their outreach. While it can be helpful to connect with recruiters, you also may get bombarded with messages and emails, some of which may be for roles not relevant to your experience and interests.
Filtering through and responding to this influx of recruiter outreach can become overwhelming and time consuming. So be prepared for that if you use the Open to Work feature.
It Could Negatively Impact Your Current Job Prospects
Some hiring managers screen LinkedIn profiles of candidates before interviews or even before sending interview offers. If they notice the Open to Work badge, they may see it as a red flag that you are just passively looking and not seriously interested in their specific role or company.
Unfortunately, some employers still look down on candidates who are transparently and openly job searching. The Open to Work badge, while useful in some cases, could hurt your chances if an employer misinterprets what that signal means.
You May Attract Low Quality Job Leads
Because the Open to Work badge signals interest in new jobs so openly, it tends to catch the attention of recruiters who blast job openings out in mass. This means you’re more likely to attract recruiter messages and job leads that may not be relevant or aligned with your actual interests, skills and career goals.
So using the badge can increase the quantity of leads, but not necessarily the quality. Be prepared to sift through more junk if you use the Open to Work feature.
It Can Negatively Impact Your Personal Brand If Used Long-Term
One final point – having the Open to Work badge enabled for a long period of time may hurt your personal brand on LinkedIn. It signals that you are struggling to find work or unhappy in your current role. Neither is a great association for your personal brand if that badge sits there for months or longer.
Instead, consider using it strategically for a set time period when you are urgently looking. But leave it off your profile when you are content in your current job.
Best Practices for Using the Open to Work Feature
If you do decide to use the Open to Work option on LinkedIn, here are some best practices to maximize the benefits and minimize the potential downsides:
- Customize your job preferences – take time to fill out your desired job title, types, locations and more. Don’t just turn on the badge with a blank slate.
- Set expectations with recruiters – let them know you are selective and will only respond if there is a strong match in role requirements.
- Turn off visibility to your connections and current company to avoid awkward conversations.
- Set a time limit for how long you’ll have the badge on – such as 2-3 months.
- Manage expectations around response times – don’t commit to replying to each message.
- Use the feature strategically around a job search, not as an open-ended signal.
- Customize settings so only recruiters, not all LinkedIn members, can see the badge.
- Review your privacy settings and profile content – a thorough profile will attract more relevant leads.
Following these tips can help maximize the upside of the Open to Work feature while minimizing some of the risks and headaches it may cause.
Alternatives to the Open to Work Badge
If you ultimately decide the Open to Work badge seems too risky or overwhelming, there are alternatives to signal you are open to new job opportunities:
- Update your headline and description to say “Seeking New Opportunities in [Your Field].”
- Connect individually with recruiters at companies you’re interested in.
- Seek out referrals from your connections to companies they recommend.
- Join industry-specific LinkedIn groups and engage in discussions there.
- Follow companies you’re interested in working for and engage with their content.
- Search jobs on LinkedIn’s job board and apply to ones that are appealing.
These less overt signals can help surface job opportunities without actively advertising you are looking with the Open to Work badge.
Conclusion
The LinkedIn Open to Work feature certainly has some upside in terms of surfacing new job leads fromeager recruiters. However, it also comes with risks like overwhelming outreach, misinterpretation from hiring managers, and potentially awkward conversations with your current employer.
Carefully weigh the pros and cons of using the Open to Work badge versus alternative ways to signal you are open to new opportunities. And if you do enable it, follow best practices around customizing preferences, setting expectations, limiting visibility and managing the outreach influx.
With the right strategy, the Open to Work feature can be a useful tool to include in your job search process on LinkedIn. But it requires thoughtfulness to prevent some of the potential headaches it may cause.
