When to Use the Open To Work Badge on LinkedIn

I've had multiple conversations with 🔌 Andy Mowat about the green "Open to Work" badge. I wanted to share some brutally honest thoughts on it as I think there are unintended consequences of broadcasting that you’re on the job market. 🟢 That green “Open to Work” badge might feel like a way to increase visibility, but it can weaken your position before you even step into an interview. Here’s why: 1️⃣ You shift from the buyer to the seller. When you publically declare you're looking, you’re signaling that you need a job—not that you’re evaluating opportunities on your terms. The best candidates are seen as discerning, not desperate, even if their situation internally might reflect otherwise. (For every 1 feel-good story about how someone's network exploded when they put this up, there are 100 where it could be making a negative impact) 2️⃣ You lose leverage at the negotiation table. Hiring managers and recruiters are wired to prioritize candidates who seem harder to land. The moment you’re visibly “available,” you’re categorized as easier to close—potentially lowering the strength of your offer. 3️⃣ Psychology beats idealism. I DO NOT think job seekers should be judged based on their current employment status, but human nature is tough to rewire. Companies chase the talent they think they can’t get. We hear all the time, "We want to see people currently working." While this isn't exactly fair or right, changing the psychology around it is nearly impossible sometimes, even when we, as recruiters, try our hardest. ➖➖➖➖ If you’re actively looking, there are better ways to work the market. Lean into your network, leverage communities, have direct conversations, and let recruiters privately. Before turning on that badge, ask yourself: Is this helping me, or is it quietly putting me at a disadvantage? If you'd like to burn me at the stake for the above advice in the comments, I welcome you to do so. 🔥 I also encourage anyone to share big wins counterintuitive to the advice above, I love scenarios when I'm wrong in this particular situation! 🙌

As a recruiter, not using the "Open to Work" banner can be a mistake Let me tell you why: As someone who has spent years recruiting and sourcing talent on LinkedIn, let me set the record straight: 𝗨𝘀𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲. 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻. 𝗧𝗼. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸. 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. The person who said you shouldn’t? More than likely has never been a recruiter (or a good one). It's not desperate. It's not a cry for help. It's not negative. You know where I’m going with this… 𝘿𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣. Let’s talk facts. 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥𝘐𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴. And do you know one of the filters we use the most? ✅ Open to Work – This lets recruiters know you’re actively exploring new opportunities, making it easier to connect with you. Which means when you activate it, you’re increasing your chances of getting found. “But what if my employer sees it?” Good question! LinkedIn gives you two options: 🔹 Public – The green banner is visible to everyone. 🔹 Recruiters Only – Only recruiters with LinkedIn Recruiter access can see it. And if you choose “Recruiters Only”? 🇱🇮🇳🇰🇪🇩🇮🇳 🇹🇦🇰🇪🇸 🇸🇹🇪🇵🇸 🇹🇴 🇵🇷🇪🇻🇪🇳🇹 🇷🇪🇨🇷🇺🇮🇹🇪🇷🇸 🇫🇷🇴🇲 🇾🇴🇺🇷 🇨🇴🇲🇵🇦🇳🇾 🇫🇷🇴🇲 🇸🇪🇪🇮🇳🇬 🇮🇹. Here’s how: 🔹 LinkedIn detects the employer listed on your profile and automatically hides your Open to Work status from recruiters at that company. 🔹 It also blocks recruiters from affiliated companies—parent companies, subsidiaries, and closely related organizations. For example: If you work at Company A, and it owns or is partnered with Company B and Company C, recruiters from all three companies will be restricted from seeing your Open to Work status. How does LinkedIn determine these affiliations? 👉 It cross-references company structures, mergers, and partnerships. 👉 It prevents recruiters using LinkedIn Recruiter from seeing your Open to Work status at any of these related companies. 👉 It’s not foolproof—your profile is still searchable, but they won’t see the Open to Work indicator. So, if you’re actively job searching but want to keep it discreet, do this: 1️⃣ Set Open to Work to “Recruiters Only.” 2️⃣ Optimize your LinkedIn profile so you show up in searches. 3️⃣ Stay active on LinkedIn to increase visibility. And most importantly—ignore bad advice telling you not to use it at all. Because the truth is… If recruiters don’t know you’re looking, they can’t reach out. Use the tools at your disposal. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼, 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. My two cents? Make it easy for hiring teams to find you. And please, stop listening to people who don’t understand how recruiting actually works.

It's time to stop avoiding the "Open to Work" banner. Yes, I've heard the reasons why people don't like it. But the stigma that shamers are raising makes me furious. Why in the world would we make people who've just been laid off feel ashamed or embarrasssed? Who does that serve? Only the employers who chose layoffs over other options. And to the recruiters who will only consider people who are currently working: I'm pretty sure your own job isn't guaranteed for life. Like the rest of us, you are just one merger or budget crisis away from unemployment yourself. You are missing great talent. Maybe try some compassion. Okay, now that I got that off my chest... Adding that green banner is just the start. A well-crafted post that positions you as a great new hire can accelerate your job hunt. Here's how to write a powerful "Open to Work" statement: ✅ Start with Clarity and Confidence Get right to the point, stay objective, and skip the long backstory. "I'm on the lookout for my next great job. Today I'm joining the ranks of those who are Open to Work." ✅ Share your wins Mention your top 3-5 achievements or projects, and quantify where possible. "I'm proud that during my time at [employer], I: -Drove $MM in new business -Led development of 5 products including A & B, resulting in $X revenue -Designed and facilitated new hire onboarding, and oversaw an X% increase in retention through new employee engagement programs." ✅ Be clear about your targets State the functions, job titles, and industries you are seeking "As I think about next steps, I'm looking for [job title], or [job title] and roles that will allow me to X, Y & Z within the [industry 1] or [industry 2] ✅Offer thank you's if appropriate and tag people "I'd like to thank [Name] and [Name] for their unwavering support of my work while at [company]. It was a great run!" ✅ End with a simple ask “I'm open to intros, referrals, or a cup of coffee just to catch up. Shoot me a DM and let's make plans!" Your goal? Make it EASY for others to help you. Done right, this post can launch your job search. Equally important is what NOT to do: ❌ Don't tell a long, drawn out story ❌ Don't disparage your employer or manager ❌ Don't share personal details about your family or finances If you’ve written one before, what made it work? Drop your tips below so we can learn from each other👇 🎉You've got this and I've got you!🎉 ♻️ Share to help job hunters find work! 🔔 Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more career strategies 📌Want job search support? DM me to chat!