LinkedIn has become an invaluable tool for professionals looking to advance their careers or find new job opportunities. With over 722 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is the largest professional networking platform and a go-to resource for recruiters looking to connect with qualified candidates.
One of the most useful features LinkedIn offers job seekers is the ability to signal that they are “open to work” on their profile. This small status update can greatly expand your visibility and get your profile viewed by more recruiters and hiring managers. But is there a way to filter searches specifically for other LinkedIn members who are open to work? Let’s take a look at how the “open to work” status works and what your options are for finding others who have indicated they are seeking new jobs.
What Does “Open to Work” Mean on LinkedIn?
The “open to work” status option allows you to privately signal to recruiters that you are looking for new job opportunities while keeping your current employment situation discreet. When you select this status from the “Add profile section” menu, a small banner will appear at the top of your profile photo saying “Open to work”.
This banner is only visible to recruiters and to 2nd-degree connections and above. Your 1st-degree connections, such as coworkers and managers, will not see the “open to work” banner. You can control who can see the status through your profile visibility settings. This lets you quietly explore new opportunities without alerting your current employer or immediate coworkers.
The “open to work” status also surfaces your profile higher in recruiters’ search results on LinkedIn. So adding this to your profile greatly expands your discoverability among hiring managers and recruiters actively looking to fill positions.
How to Add an “Open to Work” Status on LinkedIn
Adding the “open to work” status to your LinkedIn profile only takes a few quick steps:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile page
- Click “Add profile section” and select “Open to work”
- Toggle “Let recruiters know you’re open to work” to “Yes”
- Select relevant job titles or roles you would like to be contacted about
- Choose if you want contacts, recruiters, or the public to see this status
- Click “Save”
The “Open to work” banner should then appear at the top of your profile photo. You can remove or edit this status at any time the same way you added it.
How to Find Other LinkedIn Members Open to Work
Now that you know how to add an open to work status on your own LinkedIn profile, is it possible to search for other users who have indicated they are open to opportunities? Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not have a specific filter that lets you search for “open to work” profiles. However, there are a couple of methods you can use to find other open to work professionals on LinkedIn:
Use Advanced Search Filters
While there is no dedicated “open to work” filter, you can narrow your search parameters to target active job seekers:
- Current companies: Exclude any selections to filter for profiles without a current company listed.
- Past companies: Select “Past” to filter for those no longer at a previous company.
- Profile keywords: Enter terms like “seeking new opportunities” or “open to work”.
- Connections: Select “2nd-degree” to target the visibility range for the open to work status.
Combining filters like these can help surface profiles that are more likely to be open to new job options even without a specific open to work filter.
Look Through Your Network Connections
Another approach is to manually look through your own LinkedIn connections for the open to work banner. With the status only visible to 2nd-degree connections and above, your own 1st-degree connections are prime targets for potential job seekers open to being contacted.
You can quickly scroll through your connections list looking for the “Open to work” banner on profile photos. When you find one, check that person’s profile for any indication that they are seeking new opportunities, such as skills or job titles they are interested in. Reach out to them to start a conversation and see if there is a potential hiring match.
Leverage LinkedIn Recruiter
If you have access to LinkedIn Recruiter through a corporate account, this recruiting tool does have specific open to work search filters. Recruiter lets you search candidate profiles based on their open to work status and job interests. However, since Recruiter is a paid tool, this option is only available to recruiters and hiring managers using Recruiter.
Other Tips for Finding Open to Work Profiles
In addition to search filters and manual networking checks, here are some other tips for discovering qualified candidates who are open to work:
- Look for “open to work” mentions in profile summaries, experience descriptions, or LinkedIn posts.
- Follow relevant LinkedIn Groups and Companies to see open to work discussions.
- Connect with staffing agencies and recruiters who may have access to active job seeker profiles.
- Use Boolean search strings to surface phrases like “seeking new challenges”.
Being proactive in your search methods can help surface quality talent even without a designated LinkedIn filter for finding open to work profiles. The key is using creative approaches in your searches, tapping into your network, and leveraging groups and content to identify professionals looking for their next opportunity.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn does not have a specific search filter to find “open to work” profiles, job seekers looking to connect with potential new opportunities can still benefit from the open to work status option. And recruiters and hiring managers can use advanced profile searches, network connections, and other creative tactics to discover talent open to making their next career move.
The open to work status on LinkedIn provides a discreet but highly visible way to get your profile viewed by more relevant contacts. And exploring options like search filters, network searching, LinkedIn Recruiter, and engaging with industry groups and discussions can help connect you to qualified talent signaling they are eager for their next challenge.