Should I use the LinkedIn Open to Work banner?

Clients and former clients ask me if they should use the LinkedIn Open to Work banner. My instincts were always no but to vet my opinion, I asked Andy Foote, a highly respected Advanced LinkedIn Strategies Coach.

This is what he said in 2020 when I wrote this post:

I think job seekers should not use it – looks desperate and doesn’t allow them to differentiate themselves.

I totally agreed at the time.

Use or don’t use the LinkedIn Open to Work banner

I have read many opinions about the Open to Work banner. Some recruiters say it helps them find candidates easier. In that respect, I suppose it can be helpful. However, I still think that reliance on it instead of being proactive could hurt you. How do I use proactive strategies?

How can I become visible without the LinkedIn Open to work Banner?

1. Consider your content – start sharing content that fits your job target
2. Connect with decision-makers in the companies with jobs you would consider.
3. Comment on posts that catch your eye.
4. Like posts that match your career goals.
5. Research companies fitting your targets.
6. Schedule informational interviews with people who work for companies you desire.
7. Create your own LinkedIn job alerts for roles you may desire.

Why should I be more proactive?

If you are new to reading my content, you may have to take my word for it but if you talk to my clients, you will recognize that I believe in a whole different kind of career marketing. It is that mindset that let me connect with Nicky Verd, the author of the book, Disrupt yourself or Be Disrupted.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that Nicky thinks like I do. Believe in yourself. She states:

You can’t afford to fiddle at the margins; you can’t sit back and wait for government or someone else to hand you your future. It is either you di$rupt yourself or you will be disrupted. Either you drive disruption or you will get outpaced by it.

I lived this mindset since 2010. A resume writer since 1983, I found I had sacrificed my life and future to the wrong direction. I had the resources to triumph and help others win their own personal success but like many people, I kept on in a fruitless, repetitive, foolish mindset without evaluating my future. My own future almost slipped away. I was 53 when I finally woke up and realized that I was unhappy and needed to do something.

I wish someone had pointed out what Nicky states in her book:

You need new ways of thinking and new philosophies – in short, a personal revolution, a shift in mindset, to cope with the external changes.

Think of new ways to foster your own disruption and position yourself for new opportunities in a world that’s ferociously changing.

Think about your own future

Look for the right opportunity for you. Make your own moves.

If you need a guide on your career journey, I am ready to help you.