Open to Work: How to Use LinkedIn’s Latest Job Search Feature, #OpenToWork

by Susan Mullin

In the latest of LinkedIn’s additions to the every-growing network platform lies its new “open to work” feature, often referred to online as simply “#OpenToWork.”

iPhone open on a social networks folder to show how to use Linkedin's Open to Work feature

LinkedIn’s new “open to work” feature lets recruiters know that you are actively job searching despite already having a position. It’s designed for those who are currently employed but in the search for new job opportunities. To enable it, simply go to your LinkedIn profile and click on the “add profile section” button. Then select “Intro” followed by “Looking for job opportunities.” Here, LinkedIn will prompt you for additional information. You can make it so that only recruiters can see it, or for all LinkedIn members to see.

Recruiter access

With the first selection, you enable those who have “LinkedIn Recruiter” on their profiles, or those who have paid access to the LinkedIn recruiter platform. Notably, those at your company cannot find you with their LinkedIn recruiter profile. The second selection displays the “open to work” heading on your profile for everyone to see. Thus, you may want to give it some thought before enabling it.

Make the most out of the open to work feature by specifying what opportunities you are looking for. Do this with hashtags, such as #PublicRelations #MarketingManager, etc. You can also include your preferred location to narrow down your choices. 

By doing this, you are helping your profile show up in search results when recruiters are looking for new candidates that fit their job descriptions.

Schedule flexibility

Depending on how urgently you are looking for a job, you can adjust the “Start Date” section. Select either “Immediately, I’m actively applying” or “Flexible, I’m casually browsing.” 

This is an exciting feature for those who are ready for a change but are not job hunting full-time. With this addition to your profile, you can speed up your job search. Open to work attracts recruiters who are interested in hiring for similar positions to the ones in your hashtags. 

Let us know how LinkedIn’s most recent “open to work” feature works out for you. Also, find more career tips on our Job Seeker Toolkit. Happy job hunting!


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