What do you think

19 Comments

1. AnonymousMay 3,2024 at 10:12PM UTC

   Being OPEN to work and HAVING qualified positions you desire- or WANTING them - is not the same.

   Id be careful announcing this; while I have heard few success stories, many include attracting the scammers and staffing agencies looking for a quota

2. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMay 4,2024 at 12:33AM UTC

   Of all the BS nonsense that is thrown at jobseekers, this one stands right on top of my last good nerve for real.

   Saying you are open to work when you are open to work DOES NOT MAKE YOU LOOK DESPERATE. It makes you look like you're open to work.

   One of the big disadvantages of using LI as a recruiter is reaching out to passive potential candidates (people not actively looking for a job).

   When I and most recruiters I know run a search, we prioritize people with the green banner (we can sort search results by that) because we're more likely to hear back from active jobseekers.

   Honestly, I don't know who comes up with this nonsense and I don't know how they sleep at night trying to scare job seekers like this.

   Please let me know if you have any questions.

3. AnonymousMay 4,2024 at 2:05PM UTC

   Hi Joan-I have kept the open to work option without the banner for recruiters to find me. Is there a difference between your search for candidates who use that option vs posting the banner? Thank you!

4. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMay 4,2024 at 9:24PM UTC

   The second "open to work" indicator that you mentioned is only visible to recruiters who have a LI Recruiter license. Those are fairly expensive and not every recruiter has one.

5. AnonymousMay 5,2024 at 7:24PM UTC

   Thank you for sharing!! Most people do not know this.

6. P I.May 15,2024 at 5:46PM UTC

   Appreciate the tip. Wasn't aware of this.

7. OLIVIA JOHNSONMay 4,2024 at 2:04PM UTC

   Hi there!

   I think its situational and depends on the individual. For example, if you are job seeking while you are already employed then obviously may not be a good idea. But for other purposes it is helpful. If you are second guessing, there is another option. You can put your settings to Open to Work without the badge and "Recruiter Only", this way when we do our searches and select open to work candidates you would still be included without the badge.

   Hope this helps!

8. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMay 4,2024 at 9:26PM UTC

   Please remember to tell jobseekers that the second "open to work" indicator that you mentioned is only visible to recruiters who have a LI Recruiter license. Those are fairly expensive and not every recruiter has one.

9. P I.May 6,2024 at 5:58PM UTC

   Hi - I've not used the banner because I don't feel it's necessary.
   I have 'open to work' swiped on in my settings and recruiters have managed to find me. IMO, my job search is a private matter btw myself and those who I selectively choose to network with. If you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.

10. AnonymousMay 7,2024 at 2:31PM UTC

    Hi-I used to think that as well and I must respectfully disagree-particularly because of the new information shared in this thread. Now, if I'm currently employed and looking, I'm definitely not using the banner. Enabling my connections to share and comment for reach is a good idea in a very tough market.

11. P I.May 15,2024 at 5:44PM UTC

    Totally agree with your last point.

12. Danielle CastilloMay 7,2024 at 2:30PM UTC

    All I know is, the open to work banner hasn't helped me at all.

13. AnonymousMay 7,2024 at 5:22PM UTC

    From what I understand, it's about activity and engagement. I've never done it. I had colleagues who did. It didn't help. What helped get the next job was networking, and for some, the private LinkedIn open to work status that only recruiters see.

    That said, of my friends who used the Open to Work banner, they used it briefly to announce a shift in their employment...then 1-4 weeks later, took it down, with an updated profile and new posts----to generate activity and engagement.

    The influencers online who are telling you never to do it are driving their own content (and side hustle) with scare tactics that you can either choose to follow or not. Most of my coaches have said---it's about networking, upskilling, and telling your story. ---- Good luck!

14. Krystin MorganMay 8,2024 at 6:16PM UTC

    It's totally fine to use. No reasonable person is going to judge someone for using it; I have worked in recruiting for a long time and have never personally spoken with anyone who thinks it's desperate. Mostly, people saying it's desperate or shouldn't be used are trying to sell you something and don't actually have experience in hiring.

    Now, as to its success, I can't say - I personally can't say it's made a difference for me in the past, but I've only used it a little bit.

15. P I.May 15,2024 at 5:43PM UTC

    No "reasonable" person will judge. If only we lived in an idealistic world, but unfortunately we don't. People are being judged for everything these days.

16. Jean LanganMay 8,2024 at 6:36PM UTC

    I recently took my open to work off. I had 3 scammers contact me and felt that they most likely had seen the banner and decided that I was an easy mark.

    It didn’t help me at all.

17. AnonymousMay 8,2024 at 9:32PM UTC

    Yes, I also think it attracts the "too good to be true" offers, get rich quick schemes, etc.

18. AnonymousMay 9,2024 at 8:10PM UTC

    I used it and it got a conversation going with a former colleague who was with a new organization. I’m now with that new organization! Had he not seen my LinkedIn banner, he wouldn’t have known I was in the market and this opportunity may not have happened.

19. P I.May 15,2024 at 5:39PM UTC

    Great point. Noted