How To Use LinkedIn's #OpenToWork Feature

Ready to announce that you're open to new opportunities?

As you search for your next role, the LinkedIn #OpenToWork feature will help recruiters, your network, and hiring managers all know—with a glance—that you're looking for a new role. 

What is LinkedIn's #OpenToWork feature?

LinkedIn's "#OpenToWork" banner is a tool that allows users to signal to recruiters and hiring managers that they're actively looking for new job opportunities.

With it, users can add an #OpenToWork badge to their profile and indicate their desired job type, job function, industry, and location—all of which can be viewed by recruiters and hiring managers searching for potential candidates.

#OpenToWork also allows recruiters to send job seekers a message to communicate opportunities without the need to connect first.

Highlighting your "open-to-work" status with an #OpenToWork banner is optional and can be done by anyone with a LinkedIn account—including those currently employed but looking for a new role and those who are unemployed and actively seeking new employment opportunities.

Who can see if I'm open to work on LinkedIn?

Being able to choose who can see your #OpenToWork status on LinkedIn allows you to control exactly who knows that you're actively looking for new career opportunities.

This level of discretion helps keep your job search private—ensuring your current employer and colleagues won't find out you're looking for a new job unless you decide to share that information with them.

You can choose to share your open-to-work status exclusively with recruiters or with your LinkedIn connections and the rest of the platform. This gives you the flexibility to reach out to a larger audience or to only share your status with people you already know and trust. And you always have the option to change your privacy settings if you change your mind.

This feature lets you be more discreet and strategic with your search and gives you the peace of mind of knowing that you have control over who knows that you're searching for work on LinkedIn.

How to let recruiters know I'm open to work on LinkedIn

Recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn to find and connect with suitable job candidates. They use search criteria like job title, location, industry, keywords, skills, and overall profile optimization to do this.

When a job seeker adds the "Open to Work" goal on LinkedIn, their desired job type, function, industry, and preferred location will be visible. They can also opt for the #OpenToWork badge. This makes it easier for a LinkedIn recruiter to find potential candidates who are actively job hunting.

Pro Tip: Before you announce that you're open to new opportunities, ensure your social profile is optimized. The free Teal Chrome Extension comes with a LinkedIn Review tool to help you ensure you have the right details before you hit the ground running.

How to turn on #OpenToWork

Step 1: First, navigate to your profile. If you're currently on your home feed, click the “Me” button below the small profile picture in the upper right corner of the screen—then press “View Profile.” 

Step 2: Then, under your profile photo and headline, you should see an “Add Goal” button. Click that! 

Step 3: Finally, follow the prompts on the screen to set your preferences. Make sure to select “Finding a new job” and not any of the “hiring” options. (Hiring managers can use a similar version of this feature to announce they're hiring, but your goal here is to show that you're hirable instead.)

You can edit your preferences, including up to five job titles, your preferred work location(s), your start date, and the types of roles (full-time, part-time, internships, contractor roles, temp roles, etc.).

Choosing who can see your #OpenToWork status on LinkedIn

Now, you will have two options at the bottom of your screen, which is important. Do you want everyone on LinkedIn (including recruiters, your entire network, and people at your current company) to be able to see you're open to work? Or would you rather have only recruiters be able to see it? 

To edit your settings here, click the button at the bottom of the screen and toggle whichever option you prefer. If you choose “Recruiters only,” everything will be behind the scenes—and if you choose “All LinkedIn members,” you'll get that green LinkedIn “Open To Work” banner on your profile photo, and the information will be public. 

For those who select “All LinkedIn members,” LinkedIn will automatically prompt you to announce you're open to work on LinkedIn.

‍Watch this video for a step-by-step guide on adding LinkedIn's #OpenToWork feature to your LinkedIn profile.

How to turn off #OpenToWork

To turn off the Open to Work feature on LinkedIn, follow these simple steps:

1. Go to your LinkedIn homepage and click on the "Me" icon in the top right corner
2. Click on "View Profile."
3. Click the pencil icon in the blue "Open to work" box

4. Select "Delete from profile" in the bottom left corner

5. Confirm that you would like to delete that you're open to work from your profile

Once you've turned off the Open to Work feature, your #OpenToWork badge will no longer be visible on your LinkedIn profile. By doing this, recruiters and hiring managers will no longer be able to see that you are open to new employment opportunities.

How can I best use LinkedIn's #OpenToWork feature?

LinkedIn's #OpenToWork feature is a powerful tool for job seekers looking to expand their network and increase their visibility to recruiters and hiring managers. Here are some ways you can best use the #OpenToWork feature:

Highlight your current job status

If you're actively seeking new opportunities, use the #OpenToWork feature to indicate that you're open to hearing about new career opportunities. This helps recruiters and hiring managers understand you're available and seeking new employment.

It can often be helpful to contextualize why you're making a career move and showcase that on your profile, for example, if you're looking to:

• Pivot careers
• Return to work after a career break or gap in employment
• Find a new challenge
• Move and find a new role
• Recover from a layoff

You can add context by including your desired position title in your LinkedIn headline. Here's a sample formula to get you started:

Title you're targeting | Relevant Skill 1 | Relevant Skill 2 | Relevant Skill 3 | Mini-pitch that illustrates your value and accomplishments (“I help X do Y” or “I drive X in Y way”).

Connect with recruiters

Connecting with recruiters on LinkedIn is important because they're often the bridge to job opportunities. Recruiters help match job seekers with potential employers and sometimes use their platform to provide insights and advice on the job search process.

By connecting with them, job seekers can expand their network, get access to more job postings, and have a greater chance of being referred to potential employers. But it's not enough to "connect." Remember, relationships are a two-way street. Meaningfully commenting on posts and overall engagement are part of the process.

Additionally, building a relationship with recruiters can help you stay up-to-date on the latest industry news, trends, and job market insights and provide you with a valuable resource for career advice.

#OpenToWork can help you get noticed by hiring professionals actively searching for potential candidates.

Check out these sample messages for how to respond to a recruiter on LinkedIn, or upgrade to Teal+ to copy and paste them right from your Teal Job Application Tracker.

Join and participate in relevant LinkedIn groups

Join LinkedIn groups related to your industry, skills, and interests to expand your network and increase your visibility to potential employers.

Make sure to engage with your network and participate in discussions. By doing so, you'll stay top-of-mind with your network and increase your chances of being approached with new career opportunities.

People want to support each other. Many LinkedIn members see the "Open to Work" banner or posts and take a second to see if they know someone hiring — they're willing to make an introduction, recommend companies and teams, and even help you out themselves, as long as you ask.

Optimize your LinkedIn profile

Before activating the #OpenToWork feature, make sure your profile is up-to-date and complete. Optimizing your LinkedIn profile is an important step in establishing your personal brand, expanding your professional networking efforts, and making yourself more visible to potential employers and recruiters. To help you optimize your LinkedIn profile, make sure each of the following sections are strong:

• Professional profile photo and banner image
• Headline
• Summary/"About" section
• Experience section
• Education
• Skills and Endorsements section
• Using relevant keywords and LinkedIn SEO
• Customize your profile URL

The most effective way to optimize your LinkedIn profile

The LinkedIn “Open to Work” feature has significant benefits, and adding it to your profile only takes a few minutes. In addition to this feature, make sure you do whatever you stand out in recruiter search results by optimizing your profile.

By using Teal's LinkedIn Profile Review Tool, you can take the guesswork out of optimizing your profile and ensure your content showcases your skills, experience, and achievements in the best possible way.

With Teal's personalized recommendations, you can make the necessary changes to improve your profile and attract the attention of recruiters and hiring managers.

To check your LinkedIn profile, download Teal’s Free Chrome extension, including an automated LinkedIn Profile Review. Once you install the extension, just go to your profile page and click on the Teal logo. You’ll see a list of recommendations on how best to optimize your profile.

Remember, job searching can be a long and challenging process, but with the right tools and strategies, you can make the most of your time and effort. By utilizing LinkedIn's #OpenToWork feature, you can make your job search more efficient and effective and increase your chances of finding the right opportunity for you.