Putting “open to work” on your LinkedIn profile is a clear signal to recruiters and hiring managers that you are actively looking for a new job opportunity. This small change to your profile can have a big impact on the amount of interest you receive from potential employers. Here’s an overview of what happens when you put “open to work” on LinkedIn and how you can use it most effectively in your job search.
You Become Visible to Recruiters
Recruiters conduct searches on LinkedIn every day looking for qualified candidates to fill open positions. When you put “open to work” on your profile, you increase your chances of showing up in these searches. Recruiters can filter their searches by this status, so it makes it easy for them to identify prospective candidates who are open to new opportunities.
Essentially, it flags you as an active job seeker. This signals to recruiters that they should reach out to you about potential openings. Especially if you have skills, experience, or qualifications that match jobs recruiters are trying to fill, you’ll start receiving more InMail messages and connection requests.
You Gain Exposure to New Opportunities
When you’re open to work on LinkedIn, you may start seeing more relevant job openings in your feed. LinkedIn’s algorithm detects your status change and may start suggesting jobs for you to consider. So you get exposed to new opportunities you may not have seen otherwise.
You’ll also gain visibility with recruiters who have paid LinkedIn accounts. They can filter their searches to only see profiles with “open to work” listed. So putting this on your profile allows recruiters to find you more easily among hundreds of millions of members on the platform.
You Broadcast Your Interest More Broadly
Rather than applying to individual job postings, putting “open to work” communicates your interest across your entire network. Former managers, colleagues, classmates, and other connections now know you’re looking.
This opens up opportunities through your first-degree connections. Someone in your network could share an opening at their company, put in a referral for you if there’s a relevant opening, or connect you directly with a hiring manager in your industry.
Word can also spread further through your second- and third-degree networks. If someone knows someone who knows you is looking, they may surface new leads or opportunities you’re not aware of.
You Control How Broadly It’s Shared
You can customize who is able to see your “open to work” status. Options include:
- Your Connections Only
- Recruiters Only
- Public
So you can limit visibility just to your direct connections, expand it to all LinkedIn members, or only recruiters. This allows you to cast a wide net or be more selective depending on your preferences.
It’s a Low-Pressure Way to Explore Options
Rather than actively applying for roles, putting “open to work” allows opportunities to come to you. It’s a more passive approach to job seeking. You can sit back and see what kinds of openings get presented for your consideration.
This allows you to explore what’s out there without the pressure of formally submitting applications. You can vet potential openings, have preliminary discussions, and determine what the best next steps are for roles that interest you.
You Can Specify the Types of Roles You Want
In addition to signaling you’re open to work, you can share more details on your preferences. LinkedIn allows you to specify things like:
- Job function (sales, engineering, marketing, etc.)
- Industry
- Employment type (full-time, contract, etc.)
- Location
Providing this added context helps ensure the leads and openings presented align closely with the types of opportunities you want.
You May Get More Low-Quality Inquiries
While putting “open to work” can increase interest and exposure to good opportunities, it may also attract some irrelevant inquiries. Since it signals interest very broadly, you might get more generic messages from recruiters with roles that are completely unrelated to your background and interests.
Mass messages and canned InMails from recruiters may increase simply due to your visible job seeker status. While easy to ignore, it can contribute to inbox clutter.
It Can Be a Red Flag to Your Current Employer
Your current boss and colleagues may also notice your updated profile. Unless you change your visibility settings, your network likely includes work connections.
This could send up a red flag and signal that you’re unhappy or ready to leave your current role. So think carefully about who you want to be aware that you’re exploring other options.
Next Steps If You Get Overwhelmed with Responses
If you get more interest than you’re equipped to handle, you can always remove “open to work” from your profile. You can change your status back to looking for opportunities privately. Here are some other tips if you feel overwhelmed:
- Ask connections to only share highly relevant leads
- Turn off notifications for messages
- Set aside a fixed time to review inquiries
- Enlist help reviewing options from a mentor or advisor
- Let your network know if you’ve already found a position
How to Frame Your “Open to Work” Listing
To maximize the right types of opportunities, be strategic in how you complete the “open to work” section. Follow these best practices:
- Highlight your biggest accomplishments and differentiators
- Communicate the specific types of roles you’re interested in
- Share important details like location preferences or willingness to relocate
- List any preferences around company size, industry, work environment
- Include keywords recruiters may search for
With a compelling and detailed listing, you can appeal to hiring managers looking for someone with your exact background and skills.
Sample Open to Work Listing
Here is an example of a strong “open to work” listing optimized to appeal to the right opportunities:
Open to Work: Digital Marketing Leader
Award-winning marketing executive with 10+ years experience driving growth through digital strategies and campaigns. Core skills in SEO, content marketing, email marketing, and paid ad management. Track record of increasing leads and revenue for brands like XYZ Company, 123 Corporation, and ABC Startup.
Seeking senior marketing roles at fast-growing B2B SaaS companies. Open to regional or fully remote positions in Mountain or Pacific time zones. Ideal company size is 50-200 employees with product-led growth model. Passionate about metrics-driven, omni-channel digital marketing programs that deliver a quantifiable ROI.
Pro Tips for Maximizing Your Open to Work Listing
Follow these pro tips to create the most effective “open to work” listing profile:
- Lead with your biggest accomplishments or qualifications
- Quantify achievements with metrics like dollar amounts or percentages
- Use keywords recruiters search for like skills, certifications, job types
- Align desired roles with your background and capabilities
- Include details like locations, seniority levels, company types
- Update frequently with new milestones and projects
The Ideal Frequency for Updating Your Listing
Aim to update your “open to work” listing at least once per month. Here are some good reasons to refresh it regularly:
- Highlight new accomplishments from recent projects
- Add skills you’ve developed or new technologies used
- Mention presentations, publications, or press coverage
- Refine preferences based on roles you’re most interested in
- Remove companies or titles if you’ve changed roles
Updating monthly ensures your profile stays current. It shows you’re actively maintaining your presence on LinkedIn as an engaged member.
Who Sees Your Listing Updates by Default
When you add or update your “open to work” listing, here’s who can view the changes by default:
- All 1st-degree connections in your network
- 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections who follow you
- All LinkedIn members if visibility is set to “Public”
So new activity generally surfaces organically to your wider network. You can also proactively share updates through posts and messages to ensure important connections see your latest listing.
How to Get the Most Value from Your Open to Work Listing
Follow these tips to maximize the impact and reach of your “open to work” profile:
- Include a customized banner photo and headline
- Proactively share your listing with new connections
- Engage your network by liking and commenting on posts
- Join industry or interest-based LinkedIn groups
- Follow companies you’re interested in working for
- Publish your own posts sharing career news and milestones
This level of activity improves your visibility and keeps you top of mind with the people most likely to surface job leads.
Common Concerns from Members New to Open to Work
If you’re hesitant about putting “open to work” on your profile, here are some common concerns and how to address them:
Concern: My employer could find out I’m looking
Solutions:
- Limit visibility to recruiters only
- Exclude specific connections who could alert your employer
- Wait until you’re serious about leaving before updating your profile
Concern: I’ll get flooded with spam messages
Solutions:
- Set your messaging preferences to filter low-quality inquiries
- Hide notifications to control frequency of messages
- Designate time to batch process messages and requests
Concern: I’m not ready to formally look for a job
Solutions:
- Specify you’re just “open to opportunities” not urgently looking
- Use settings like “Private Mode” to anonymously browse openings
- Change status back easily at any point
Concern: I’m not prepared if an offer comes through quickly
Solutions:
- Decline or delay interviews for any roles you’re not serious about
- Use initial talks to practice and refine interview skills
- Only proceed to final rounds for the right opportunities
- Notify network if you’ve accepted an offer and are no longer looking
Should You Consider Premium LinkedIn Services?
LinkedIn offers several premium features that could be useful for an active job seeker leveraging “open to work.” Here’s an overview of the benefits of LinkedIn Premium subscriptions:
Premium Career
- See who viewed your profile to target networking outreach
- Get insights on how recruiters interact with your profile
- Access salary data for positions in your field
- Take unlimited Learning courses to build skills
Premium Business
- Save job search preferences and get recommended roles
- Contact recruiters directly with unlimited InMails
- Browse anonymously in “Private Mode”
- Get exclusive access to active job seeker groups
Premium options provide more tools for positioning your profile, tracking interest, researching openings, and contacting recruiters. The expanded access and insights can accelerate job search results. Evaluate whether the benefits are worth the subscription fee based on your search volume and priorities.
Should You Pay to Promote Your Open to Work Listing?
In addition to premium subscriptions, LinkedIn allows you to pay to sponsor your profile and get added exposure. Here are the pros and cons of paying to promote an “open to work” listing:
Potential Benefits
- Increased profile views and engagement
- Expanded reach beyond your direct network
- Ability to target promotions by location, industry, skills
- Stand out amidst competition for opportunities
Potential Drawbacks
- No guarantee of results from wider reach
- Diminishing returns after a certain level of spend
- May attract recruiters reaching out with irrelevant roles
- Costs can add up without landing the right position
If your goal is exposure to a wide audience, promotions could significantly expand your visibility. But evaluate the costs against expected outcomes, and combine paid tactics with robust organic networking.
Getting Support Throughout Your Job Transition
Searching for a new role while currently employed can be an emotional rollercoaster. Make sure to engage your support system throughout the process. Ways friends, family, mentors, and peers can help include:
- Providing encouragement throughout the highs and lows
- Listening to you vent when feeling frustrated
- Giving feedback on opportunities you’re considering
- Offering introductions or recommendations in their network
- Helping prepare for challenging conversations or interviews
Don’t isolate yourself due to fear or stress. Tap into your personal and professional support network to get the assistance you need.
Best Practices for Resigning Once You Get a New Job
When you do receive and accept an official new job offer, here are some tips for smoothly transitioning out of your current role:
- Notify your manager and leadership team privately about your decision before a public announcement
- Provide sufficient notice based on your responsibilities, at least 2-3 weeks
- Offer to document work, projects, and knowledge to aid the transition
- Introduce your manager and successor if applicable
- Respectfully decline a counteroffer if presented
- Express gratitude for opportunities for professional growth
A thoughtful, positive resignation process will preserve your reputation and network. This supports your career long-term.
Key Takeaways
Here are some of the key points to keep in mind when putting “open to work” on your LinkedIn profile:
- Increases visibility with recruiters and hiring managers
- Surfaces new job opportunities you may be unaware of
- Allows you to passively explore options without pressure
- Can be concerning for current employer, so use appropriate settings
- May attract more low-quality outreach to filter through
- Works best when listing is compelling, detailed, and updated regularly
- Combine with robust networking and engagement on the platform
With a strategic approach, putting “open to work” on LinkedIn allows you to maximize control and choice during your job search. The increased exposure leads to more high-quality options so you can ultimately land your ideal next role.