Should I Add The "Open To Work Banner"?

The great debate over the Linkedin banner will never end, but hopefully i can make some sense of it for you

So often when I meet with people who have recently lost their jobs, I get asked “Do i add the “Open To Work” frame on my photo?

I never would have thought that a green overlay on your LinkedIn profile photo would illicit so many different points of views, or become so charged. I’ve spoken to recruiters about it, my friends, lots of people looking for work at all different levels, as well has have my own personal experiences of having it on and off my account for over a year. I’ve pulled everything together here, and while i assume i won’t be settling things, i’ll give you my personal recommendation based on all of that collectively.

It’s Not Just About The Badge

Losing your job whether it be through a company merger, redundancy, business performance, or whatever else, sucks. IT SUCKS. So hard. Ugh. For many people they’ve never been in a situation like this (Read: “So You Just Lost Your Job Now What”) and coming to terms can take a bit. It’s totally natural to feel some level of embarrassment, have an ego hit, and feel uncomfortable informing people of what happened. It’s not fun. The first time you’re out somewhere and someone asks you what you do when you’re no longer working it HURTS.

So the thought of blowing the digital trumpet on it and adding a green banner telling the world is naturally not at the top of your list. And that’s ok. It can feel like a digital signpost on failure, on feeling inadequate, or whatever you’re going through as part of the loss of your job. It’s all natural. If this is resonating with you, know it’s ok. So many others feel this way, and you’re not alone.

You’re Not the Only One Looking

We are in a tough market. Brutal, even. More people are unemployed, underemployed, or “just browsing” than LinkedIn has probably ever seen.

Tens of thousands of workers—many of them incredible—have been affected by layoffs at high-profile companies. Tech, media, retail, startups—you name it. Recruiters know this. Hiring managers know this. It’s not a red flag to be looking for work anymore. It’s the norm.

The banner doesn’t scream, “I failed.” If anything, it quietly says, “I’m ready.” And that’s a good thing.

Do I Look Desperate?

I’ve had many people ask me this, and the answer is no. Looking for a job is not that abnormal of a thing. You’re using Linkedin and a vast majority of daily users are looking for clients, positioning themselves for their next job, or looking for work. So why would signaling that you’re using a platform for what it’s intended for comes across as desperate? I just don’t agree with that perception at all.

Closed Mouth’s Don’t Get Fed

While i’ve been pretty busy consulting, I removed the badge from my page, as I was a bit less actively looking, and a recruiter had convinced me to remove it while he was putting me up for a job, and I just never added it back. It was honestly a terrible, terrible decision. I made a post on LinkedIn saying i was open for work and multiple reached out and said they were surprised as they had noticed i didn’t have the open to work banner on my profile photo. Also had more people reach out about assorted things in 1 week then i had had in the previous months without the banner. If you’re not going to do all that you can to get noticed, then you shouldn’t be surprised when people aren’t noticing you.

I think more senior people seem to be more adverse to having the banner up from my experience, but it doesn’t really matter honestly. The same thing applies. You want as many people to know as possible, regardless of your level, and honestly almost more so at a senior level, because the truth is, the odds of you finding a job through someone you know or are acquainted with are much higher, so making sure everyone is aware is incredibly important.