LinkedIn Open to Work: Pros, Cons, and How to Use It in 2025

Standing out on LinkedIn means more than having a polished profile. The way you signal your availability to work can directly impact the quality and quantity of opportunities that come your way. LinkedIn’s Open to Work feature has become a common tool for job seekers, but using it effectively requires understanding how it works, when to use it, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Done right, it can help you attract the right recruiters, tap into your network, and position yourself for the roles you want most.

What Does ‘Open to Work’ on LinkedIn Really Mean?

The LinkedIn Open to Work feature lets you signal that you are seeking new opportunities, either publicly or privately. When you enable it, LinkedIn prompts you to set job preferences such as job titles, preferred locations, and work type. These details help recruiters match you with relevant roles. You can access it by clicking the “Me” icon on your LinkedIn homepage, selecting “View profile,” and then using the “Open to” button.

You have two visibility options. Choosing “All LinkedIn members” adds a green photo frame with the #OpenToWork tag to your profile photo, making your status visible to your network and beyond. The “Only recruiters” option hides the badge and shares your status only with LinkedIn Recruiter users, which can be helpful if you want a job search kept more private from a current employer.

Recruiters see your stated job preferences, availability, and the positions you’re targeting. They do not see personal contact information unless you include it in your LinkedIn profile. This makes it important to review what’s visible before activating the “open to work” feature, so you control both the message and the audience.

Pros of Using “Open to Work” on LinkedIn

Increases your visibility in recruiter searches

Turning on the LinkedIn Open to Work feature makes you more likely to appear in recruiter searches on LinkedIn Recruiter. Recruiters can filter for candidates actively looking, which helps surface your profile for open roles that match your job search criteria. By clearly stating your target job opportunities and preferred locations, you position yourself to be found for new opportunities you might not have discovered yourself.

Can spark inbound opportunities from your network

When your network knows you are open to a new job or new role, they are more likely to share job opportunities, introduce you to hiring contacts, or connect you with decision-makers. Publicly showing your status on your work on the LinkedIn activity feed can prompt people you haven’t spoken to in years to reach out with leads. Networking is still one of the fastest ways to uncover roles that aren’t widely advertised.

Builds social proof when paired with an optimized profile

The open to work feature can reinforce your personal brand when your LinkedIn profile is already strong. A professional profile photo, a clear headline, and a well-detailed skill set make the signal more compelling to candidates reviewing your background. An updated LinkedIn account with visible achievements shows that you’re not just looking, but ready to contribute value immediately.

Cons and Potential Risks to Consider

Potential privacy risks with your current employer

The LinkedIn Open to Work feature offers an option to show your status only to recruiters, but there is no way to guarantee complete privacy. If your current employer or someone at your current company uses LinkedIn Recruiter, there is a small chance your job search could become visible. While LinkedIn works to keep your job search private, job seekers should weigh the risk before enabling the “open to work” feature in a sensitive work situation.

The risk of attracting irrelevant or scam messages

Making your status public can increase outreach from recruiters, but not all will be relevant to your career goals. Some candidates receive messages for roles outside their expertise or from questionable sources targeting job seekers. Using the “open to work” feature without refining your profile and preferences may result in more noise than genuine job search leads.

Perception and bias factors to consider

While many employers and hiring managers see the LinkedIn Open to Work signal as proactive, others may hold outdated assumptions about candidates who display it. In competitive industries, job seekers should consider how the perception of public availability might influence first impressions and whether a targeted networking approach could serve them better.

How to Get the Most Out of the Feature

Optimize your profile before you turn it on

Before enabling the LinkedIn Open to Work setting, ensure your LinkedIn profile is fully updated and highlights your most relevant achievements. Use a professional profile picture that aligns with your personal brand. Review your skill set to make sure it reflects your current expertise, and update your job titles, preferred location, and work status so recruiters see accurate information. You can make these changes by selecting “view profile,” using the pencil icon to edit your “open to work” feature settings, and verifying all sections are complete.

(Pro Tip: Before you make your LinkedIn Open to Work status visible, run your resume through Huntr’s AI Resume Review. It can help you align your LinkedIn profile content with a stronger, role-targeted resume so both tell the same story to recruiters.)

Combine ‘Open to Work’ with proactive networking

The LinkedIn Open to Work option works best when paired with intentional outreach. Use your network to connect with industry peers, hiring managers, and former colleagues who can refer you to job opportunities. Comment thoughtfully on posts, share relevant articles, and message contacts directly to express that you are seeking open opportunities. Leveraging both the feature and active engagement increases the chances that your skills reach the right audience faster.

(Pro Tip: Use Huntr’s Contact Tracker to keep notes on hiring managers and connections you’ve reached out to. Staying organized makes follow-ups easier and ensures no opportunity falls through the cracks.)

Boost Your Visibility with a Polished LinkedIn Announcement

A tailored LinkedIn post about your job search can outperform a generic update. When your message is specific about your skills, target job opportunities, and the value you bring, it helps your network know exactly how to support you. Pairing the LinkedIn Open to Work setting with a strategic post creates more touchpoints for potential employers to notice you.

Huntr’s LinkedIn announcement feature also makes this process fast and professional. Once your LinkedIn profile and resume reach a strong completion level, you can create a short, personalized post with one click. You’ll see a preview of your announcement, complete with your profile photo, and can edit the content to fit your voice. For privacy, personal details like your email, phone number, and address are automatically removed from the shared resume unless you choose to include them. From there, it’s a single step to share your “open to work” feature announcement and put your best first impression in front of the right audience.

(Pro Tip: Pair your Huntr announcement with a tailored resume generated from the job description using Huntr’s Resume Keyword Scanner. That way, anyone who views your LinkedIn post and requests your resume will get one that’s already optimized for the role.)

When to Avoid the ‘Open to Work’ Photo Frame

Situations where ‘Recruiters Only’ is the smarter choice

If you want the benefits of LinkedIn Open to Work without alerting your current employer or current company, choosing the Only Recruiters option may be safer. This limits visibility to LinkedIn Recruiter users while helping you keep your job search more discreet. While LinkedIn aims to prevent LinkedIn Recruiter users from your company from seeing your status, complete privacy cannot be guaranteed. For roles where confidentiality is critical or where public visibility could harm relationships, keeping your job search private is the better route.

Alternatives to signal interest without publicizing it

If you prefer not to use the photo frame, you can still signal interest by being active on the platform. Engage with posts from companies you admire, follow hiring managers, and connect with people in your target field. Use thoughtful comments and targeted messages to express interest in new opportunities or open opportunities. Many job seekers also leverage recommendations, skill endorsements, and relevant content sharing to stay visible in their network without explicitly announcing their job search.

Conclusion

The LinkedIn Open to Work feature can be a powerful signal in your job search, but it delivers the best results when paired with a clear plan and a strong LinkedIn profile. Whether you choose to make your status public or keep it to recruiters only, the value lies in how well you communicate your skills, target the right job opportunities, and follow through with consistent networking. Treat the feature as one piece of a broader strategy for professional and personal growth. If you want tools that help you present your best self and stay organized throughout your search, sign up for Huntr today for free to help you build your resume for your job search.