Head to your LinkedIn profile, press Open to and pick Finding a new job. Add your job details, decide who's allowed to see them, then hit Save. In the phone app it starts with your photo, then your Profile card, then Open to. Going public with all members puts the #OpenToWork frame on your picture.
There are three ways in, and all of them end at the same setting. The official help page also sets out what each visibility option does, which matters more than the clicks if you're currently employed.
Turning it on from a desktop browser
- Go to your homepage and click the Me icon along the top.
- Click your Profile card.
- Click the Open to button.
- Click Finding a new job.
- Provide the requested information in the pop-up window.
- Choose who can see it.
- Click Save.
Turning it on from the mobile app
- Tap your profile photo.
- Tap your Profile card.
- Tap Open to in your introduction card, at the top of your profile.
- Tap Finding a new job.
The visibility choices further down this page apply here as well, so have a think about them before you finish.
Turning it on from the Jobs tab
This is the route to use if you're already browsing roles and don't want to go back to your profile.
- Open the Jobs tab.
- Click Preferences in the left-hand rail.
- Click the arrow next to Open to work to expand it.
Once that's expanded, you can set up your preferences from there.
Choosing who sees your status
You get three options, and they do very different things:
- All LinkedIn Members. The widest setting: recruiters see it, and so does anyone employed alongside you. It also puts a frame round your picture, the #OpenToWork one.
- Recruiters only. Aimed at keeping your status away from recruiters employed where you work now, subject to a limit covered below.
- Visible only to you. Pick this if you want to set it up without showing anybody yet.
If you've got a job and you're looking quietly, the photo frame is the thing to avoid, as it announces your search to everybody who views your profile, your manager included. There's more on the visibility side in this walkthrough of adding the feature, and if you're being careful about what people can tell from your activity, it's worth knowing how to stop read receipts as well.
A simple way to decide: out of work and happy to say so, use All LinkedIn Members. Employed and looking quietly, use Recruiters only and accept the limit below. Still weighing it up, use Visible only to you, so nobody else sees it.
Switching Open to work off again
You might want to do this once you've accepted a role, or because you'd rather choose when it goes than have it removed for you.
- Find the Open to Work box.
- Click Delete.
That disables the feature. You can turn it on again later, though the choices you'd made are gone, so you'll be filling everything in from scratch. Note down your job details first if you think you'll want them back.
The other way it can disappear works differently. If LinkedIn removes #OpenToWork because you didn't confirm, it stays off until you manually enable it again, and any of the three routes above will do that.
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Why Recruiters only isn't private, and what removes your status
Recruiters only sounds like a sealed room, and it isn't. LinkedIn is upfront that it can't guarantee complete privacy, so there's still a chance your status reaches someone at your employer. If that would cause real trouble, treat it as lower risk and not as no risk.
The second surprise catches people who've set this up and moved on with their lives. Go quiet on recruiter InMails and LinkedIn sends an email asking you to confirm. Ignore it, and #OpenToWork comes off your profile until you switch it back on yourself.
So if recruiters seem to have gone quiet, check the setting is still on. Keep an eye on your inbox too, because the confirmation request arrives by email and it's easy to miss.
Frequently asked questions
Is Open to work the same as the #OpenToWork frame?
Not quite. Open to work is the setting, and the #OpenToWork frame is what's added to your profile photo when you share with All LinkedIn Members.
Could my employer still find out?
It's possible. Recruiters only tries to keep your status from recruiters where you work, but LinkedIn won't promise it stays private.
Why has my #OpenToWork status vanished?
Going quiet on recruiter InMails and ignoring LinkedIn's confirmation email takes it off your profile. Turn it back on yourself when you're ready.
Can I keep the status but skip the photo frame?
The frame comes with sharing to All LinkedIn Members, so choose another option if you don't want to share with everyone. To change a setting you've already saved, check LinkedIn's help page.
Will my old job preferences come back?
No. If you delete the feature and turn it on later, you'll enter them again.
Do I need the app to turn it on?
No. There's a desktop route through the Me icon and another through the Jobs tab.
