{"id":10553,"date":"2025-11-15T09:11:28","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T13:11:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=10553"},"modified":"2025-11-15T09:12:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T13:12:39","slug":"in-a-brutal-job-market-is-linkedins-opentowork-badge-worth-the-pitfalls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=10553","title":{"rendered":"In a brutal job market, is LinkedIn&#8217;s #OpenToWork badge worth the pitfalls"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"byline yf-1k5w6kz\">\n<div class=\"byline-attr yf-1k5w6kz\">\n<div class=\"byline-attr-logo yf-1k5w6kz\">For job seekers, standing out in this super-tight job market is tough.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-wrap yf-1sauy26\">\n<div class=\"body yf-h0on0w\" data-testid=\"article-body\">\n<div class=\"bodyItems-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">Could the #OpenToWork badge on your LinkedIn profile help your chances of gaining the interest of a hiring manager?<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">It\u2019s a provocative subject.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">You can display the green #OpenToWork<a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/help\/linkedin\/answer\/a507508\/let-recruiters-know-you-re-open-to-work?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"cpos:1;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:banner;cpos:1;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"8\" data-v9y=\"1\">\u00a0banner<\/a>\u00a0on your profile photo, which cues your network and recruiters that you\u2019re seeking new opportunities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">You can also opt for the more cautious approach, showing you\u2019re open to work solely with recruiters using LinkedIn Recruiter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">The question I wonder about \u2014 and readers ask me \u2014 is whether it\u2019s wise to be that public and straightforward about your job aspirations.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/in-a-brutal-job-market-linkedins-opentowork-badge-may-be-worth-the-downsides-183150175.html\">Read on Yahoo Finance<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">Here\u2019s what career coaches and workplace experts had to say.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">\u201cIt&#8217;s controversial,\u201d said Richard Eisenberg, an expert on workplace challenges faced by older workers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">\u201cThere are some people who love it and think it&#8217;s a great idea,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd there are some people who hate it and think it&#8217;s a terrible idea. I happen to think it&#8217;s a good idea for people who are looking for work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">His logic: \u201cThese days if you want a full-time job or a part-time job or gig work, you want to get the word out as much as you can, and you want people to know that you are available and what you want to do and what you&#8217;re good at.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">Having the #OpenToWork banner on your LinkedIn profile lets people know you&#8217;re available in a way that they might not know if they just saw your profile, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">Eisenberg prefers opening it to everybody to see. \u201cIt\u2019s particularly useful for older job seekers because it\u2019s another way to say \u2018I&#8217;m available. I&#8217;m interested. I&#8217;m up to date. Here&#8217;s who I am.\u2019 It\u2019s no guarantee of anything, but it&#8217;s another way to say \u2018Think of me. I could be helpful.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">Eisenberg has had new clients tell him they found him on LinkedIn: \u201cI&#8217;m pretty certain that having it there has been helpful for the times I have been looking for work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">Career\u00a0<a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/jaynemattson.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"cpos:2;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:coach;cpos:2;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"13\" data-v9y=\"1\">coach\u00a0<\/a>Jayne Mattson agrees. \u201cAbsolutely add the #OpenToWork feature, especially now,\u201d Mattson told me. \u201cThe more that you can show that you are open to work, the more chances a recruiter or hiring manager may reach out to you. You always want to increase those chances.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"no-magic-bullet\" class=\"header-scroll yf-gn6wdt\"><strong>No &#8216;magic bullet&#8217;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">That said, a simple banner on LinkedIn is \u201cnot some kind of magic bullet,\u201d said Marci Alboher, a workplace trend expert and chief engagement officer at the nonprofit CoGenerate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">\u201cPeople use it, whether they&#8217;re employed or not, as a signal to recruiters, and use the privacy settings so that only recruiters see that. That&#8217;s useful. And if you&#8217;re a freelancer who is open to new engagements, I don&#8217;t see any downside,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"read-more-wrapper\" data-testid=\"read-more\">\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">There was plenty of agreement here. \u201cIt\u2019s not going to hurt you, but if you rely on it as the key to getting your next job, you will be disappointed,\u201d said John Tarnoff, a mid-career professional\u00a0<a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/johntarnoff.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"cpos:4;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:career coach;cpos:4;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"16\" data-v9y=\"1\">career coach<\/a>. \u201cThe #OpenToWork banner is not your magnet for opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">There\u2019s a psychological edge to consider as well. \u201cThere is this general feeling that people don&#8217;t want to look desperate or using the tab makes people feel vulnerable,\u201d Alboher added. \u201cI would say to temper that, considering the current job market where so many really qualified people are out of work. People who would have been reluctant to use that flag are now comfortable using it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">But Steve Dalton, a career adviser and author of \u201cThe Job Closer\u201d and \u201cThe 2-Hour Job Search,\u201d said there&#8217;s a risk that some employers may interpret your availability to work as a signal that you\u2019re not in demand or a top performer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">\u201cFair or not, the fact that you are available and advertising may give them a negative impression of your abilities. I would rather not lead with that,&#8221; Dalton told me.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"other-tools-to-consider\" class=\"header-scroll yf-gn6wdt\"><strong>Other tools to consider<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">Alboher said she finds the LinkedIn Premium plan valuable. It allows you to \u201ccontact people directly, rather than sit passively thinking that someone is somehow going to discover you because you have that banner,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">She advises using a combination of the #OpenToWork, premium account, and an \u201cAbout\u201d section on your profile that succinctly explains who you are and what you have to offer an employer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">Another tip from Alboher: \u201cWhat would make people notice you is that if you periodically share things on LinkedIn that show your expertise, that show your insights or that lift up others in ways that show your generosity and your sensibility of helping others \u2014 that&#8217;s the kind of thing that will get people to look at your profile in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">I concur. Engaging on a regular basis on LinkedIn gets your profile noticed. And, of course, sharpening your skills to align with the jobs you\u2019re aiming for plus reaching out to contacts to connect you with hiring managers can go a long way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">Said Tarnoff: \u201cIf you&#8217;re going to use the #OpenToWork banner, use it as a conversation starter, not a spotlight that you have been out of work for six months and are really scared and help me please.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">Dalton added that the badge&#8217;s usefulness is limited: \u201cWhat you&#8217;re hoping to happen when you put it up is that you will get incremental outreach \u2014 meaning outreach you wouldn&#8217;t have gotten otherwise simply because that flag was up. I&#8217;ve talked to a lot of hiring managers and recruiters who have definitely told me that this is not a motivating factor for them when choosing who to proactively reach out to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">If the company is doing the search, they are going to look for objective criteria, such as if you have a particular qualification or have done this exact job before, preferably at one of their competitors, Dalton said. \u201cRarely does the #OpenToWork flag factor into their decision criteria from all of the conversations I&#8217;ve had.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\"><a class=\"link \" href=\"mailto:%20kerry.hannon@yahooinc.com\" data-i13n=\"cpos:5;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Have a question about retirement? Personal finances? Anything career-related? Click here to drop Kerry Hannon a note.;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"17\" data-v9y=\"1\"><strong><em>Have a question about retirement? Personal finances? Anything career-related? Click here to drop Kerry Hannon a note.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"a-caution-about-scammers\" class=\"header-scroll yf-gn6wdt\"><strong>A caution about scammers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">The bigger red flag is that \u201cat the highest level, it is much more likely to draw scammers and service providers like coaches and resume writers that do not have jobs than it is to result in incremental outreach from employers with jobs,\u201d Dalton said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">\u201cIt invites outreach from sources with perverse incentives,\u201d Dalton said. \u201cYou&#8217;re going to get a lot of outreach from people that don&#8217;t genuinely have jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">And that\u2019s a time suck. \u201cIt will take time to pick through all of the head fakes and false starts,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will be demoralizing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">It\u2019s a judgment call whether the chance of getting a promising hit is worth the trouble.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\">Sure, you can get a lot of spam emails and blasts from recruiters and from people who are not offering anything that you would want, Eisenberg told me. \u201cFrom my perspective, that&#8217;s a small price to pay for the possibility of getting some opportunities that you might not have had otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"byline-attr yf-1k5w6kz\">\n<div class=\"byline-attr-logo yf-1k5w6kz\"><a class=\"primary-link fin-size-small yf-1211h5v\" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/author\/kerry-hannon\" target=\"_self\" data-ylk=\"elm:author;elmt:link;itc:0;slk:Kerry%20Hannon;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"2\" data-v9y=\"1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"byline-attr-logo-img yf-1k5w6kz\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/rmVzdumEqNVj03M5WziCpA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTgwO2g9ODA7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/o.aolcdn.com\/images\/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fimages%2Fdims%3Fimage_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fo.aolcdn.com%252Fimages%252Fdims%253Fimage_uri%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fo.aolcdn.com%25252Fimages%25252Fdims%25253Fimage_uri%25253Dhttps%2525253A%2525252F%2525252Fs.yimg.com%2525252Fos%2525252Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2525252F2023-07%2525252F41712030-1c23-11ee-bcf7-7d286db2677e%252526compress%25253D1%252526progressive%25253D1%252526quality%25253D75%252526client%25253Dhawkeye%252526signature%25253D1de715733bdefcb02d735079f8145447d5b31ff0%2526compress%253D1%2526progressive%253D1%2526quality%253D75%2526client%253Dhawkeye%2526signature%253D850fb3720e7261df724b58ed79f7f65a79a681be%26compress%3D1%26progressive%3D1%26quality%3D75%26client%3Dhawkeye%26signature%3D4f2b35afece555fd336b1d5801a4fe34b86903bf&amp;compress=1&amp;progressive=1&amp;quality=75&amp;client=hawkeye&amp;signature=a5075ca77bffbb522c38a04e6704e3941da848c2\" alt=\"Kerry Hannon\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"byline-attr-author yf-1k5w6kz\"><a class=\"primary-link fin-size-large noUnderline yf-1211h5v\" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/author\/kerry-hannon\" target=\"_self\" data-ylk=\"elm:author;elmt:link;itc:0;slk:Kerry%20Hannon;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"3\" data-v9y=\"1\">Kerry Hannon<\/a>\u00a0<span class=\"byline-attr-meta-separator yf-1k5w6kz\" data-svelte-h=\"svelte-1yy7aps\">\u00b7<\/span>\u00a0Senior Columnist<\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-attr-time-style\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-share yf-1k5w6kz\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"menuContainer yf-1vrp6mx\">\n<div class=\"icon fin-icon primary-icn sz-x-large yf-sv6wwp\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-icon-type=\"ios-share\" data-testid=\"desktop-share-icon\"><em>Kerry Hannon is a Senior Columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a career and retirement strategist and the author of 14 books, including &#8220;<\/em><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.hachettebookgroup.com\/titles\/kerry-hannon\/retirement-bites\/9781541705845\/?lens=publicaffairs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"cpos:6;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future,;cpos:6;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"18\" data-v9y=\"1\"><em>Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future,<\/em><\/a><em>&#8221; &#8220;<\/em><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?page_id=9253\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"cpos:7;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work;cpos:7;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"19\" data-v9y=\"1\"><em>In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work<\/em><\/a><em>,&#8221; and &#8220;Never Too Old to Get Rich.&#8221; Follow her on\u00a0<\/em><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/kerryhannon.bsky.social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"cpos:8;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Bluesky;cpos:8;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"20\" data-v9y=\"1\"><em>Bluesky<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\"><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/preferences.newsletters.yahoo.net\/subscribe\/mindyourmoney\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-i13n=\"cpos:9;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter;cpos:9;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"21\" data-v9y=\"1\"><strong>Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\"><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/topic\/personal-finance\" data-i13n=\"cpos:10;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Click here for the latest personal finance news to help you with investing, paying off debt, buying a home, retirement, and more;cpos:10;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"22\" data-v9y=\"1\"><strong>Click here for the latest personal finance news to help you with investing, paying off debt, buying a home, retirement, and more<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1090901\"><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/\" data-i13n=\"cpos:11;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo;cpos:11;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"23\" data-v9y=\"1\"><strong>Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/\" data-i13n=\"cpos:12;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Finance;cpos:12;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"24\" data-v9y=\"1\"><strong>Finance<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-small.png?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top:5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"small\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"In a brutal job market, is LinkedIn&#039;s #OpenToWork badge worth the pitfalls\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Career experts debate the value of advertising your availability.<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-small.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top:5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"small\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"In a brutal job market, is LinkedIn&#039;s #OpenToWork badge worth the pitfalls\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10554,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[59,597],"tags":[139,60],"class_list":["post-10553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-careers","category-yahoo","tag-job-search","tag-jobs"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kerryhannon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/download.jpeg?fit=225%2C225&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3YFQS-2Kd","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10553"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10556,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10553\/revisions\/10556"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}