Open to Workis the LinkedIn feature that lets you indicate on your profile that you are open to job offers. You can activate it on desktop viaYou > View profile > Open to > Job opportunitiesand remove them via theEdit-symbol in the “Open to job offers” field with a single click onDelete. When setting it up, you decide whether all LinkedIn members see the green#OpenToWork-View photo frames or only people who use LinkedIn Recruiter.
This guide shows you both click paths on desktop and in the app, how the two visibility levels differ, what LinkedIn itself says about privacy in relation to your current employer—and how the signal is received on the recruiter’s side.Last updated: 19 September 2026, all navigation paths from the GermanLinkedIn Help Centre field.
What “Open to Work” on LinkedIn actually is
Open to Work on German LinkedIn“Open to job offers”It is not part of your summary or a post, but a separate field at the top of your profile. You enter what you are looking for there, and LinkedIn shares this information with the people you approve.
According to the help article, you can provide the following information, among other things:
- Job titles, that you are open to
- Work models(e.g. on-site, hybrid, remote)
- Work locations
- Start date
- Employment relationships(e.g. full-time, part-time, fixed-term)
According to LinkedIn, additional fields such as notice period, availability and salary expectations are available in India. It is important to understand that this field is a search signal, not an application. It does not replace a well-crafted profile or an active job search – we have covered the most common pitfalls in themost common LinkedIn mistakes when looking for a jobcollected.
Activating Open to Work: Step by Step on Desktop
On desktop, there are two ways to reach the same goal. The direct route is through your profile:
- Click the icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepageYou field.
- Select View profile field.
- Click onOpen to field.
- Select Job openings field.
- Enter the required information: job titles, locations, work models and employment types.
- Click onSave field.
Have you used the feature before and only want to update the details? You can also do this in the Jobs section:
- Click the tab at the topJobs field.
- Click in the left sidebar onSettings field.
- Click the arrow next toOpen to job offers field.
- Update the fields.
- Click onSave field.
Source: linkedin.com/help – Indicate that you are open to job opportunities field.
Enable Open to Work in the app
In the mobile app, it works almost the same way. Only the starting point differs:
- Tap yourProfile photo field.
- Tap the profile picture again to go to your profile.
- Tap the introduction card toOpen to field.
- Tap onJob openings field.
- Enter your details and tap onSave field.
Remove or turn off Open to Work
Removing it is searched for almost as often as activating it—usually because you have signed a new job contract or the green frame feels too conspicuous after all. There is no option to pause it: you delete the field.
On desktop:
- Click the icon at the top of the homepageYou field.
- Select View profile field.
- Click in the fieldOpen to job offersto theEdit-symbol.
- Click onDelete field.
In the app:
- Tap yourProfile photoand then click it again to open your profile.
- Type in the fieldOpen to job offersto theEdit-symbol.
- Tap onDelete field.
LinkedIn notes that your previous settings in the processnot savedbecome. You can reactivate the feature at any time, but you will need to re-enter the job titles and locations. If you only want to pause it briefly, note down what was entered beforehand.
Visibility: all members or recruiters only
When setting it up, you choose who sees your signal. That is the real decision — and it has tangible consequences.
- All LinkedIn members:According to the help article, the#OpenToWork Photo Frameadded to your profile. This is the familiar green ring around your profile picture. Anyone who visits your profile or sees your post in the feed will recognise the signal — including your colleagues.
- HR professionals only:Your note is only visible to “people who use LinkedIn Recruiter.” Nothing changes to your profile picture; there is no frame.
The quiet option is the default choice for anyone who is still employed. The loud option is worth it if you want your network to actively help with the search—because then it is not just recruiters searching for you, but also everyone who passes your name on.
What LinkedIn says about privacy from your employer
For the silent option, LinkedIn states verbatim in its German help article: “To protect your privacy, we ensure that LinkedIn Recruiter users working at your current company cannot see your shared career goals. However, we cancannot guarantee absolute confidentiality.”
You should take this second sentence seriously. LinkedIn filters out recruiters from your current company, but explicitly provides no guarantee. If a leak could put your career at risk, this field is not the right channel—speak directly instead of signalling it on your profile.
How Recruiters Find Open-to-Work Candidates
On the other side of the search, Open to Work is a filter. In the Recruiter Help Center, LinkedIn describes aSpotlight “Open to Work”After a search, recruiters can click it under “Spotlights” at the top of the results and only see profiles that have set the signal. The availability is shown by the #OPENTOWORK frame around the profile picture, on the profile card in the search results, and on the profile itself.
The same source also states the limitation: the feature shares your career goals with Recruiter users whono longerare linked to the candidate’s current company or an affiliated company. Source:linkedin.com/help – View candidates who are open to work in Recruiter field.
In practical terms, for you as a job seeker: Spotlight requires someone to have a paid Recruiter licence. You can find out how much it costs and how Recruiter Lite and Recruiter differ in our article on theLinkedIn Recruiter Costs. Conversely, if you want to specifically search for profiles with the #OpenToWork frame without a Recruiter licence, you can find the steps in our knowledge base article.#HIRING and #OPENTOWORK: How to find these contacts field.
Tidy up first: your profile needs to live up to expectations
The signal only brings contacts, not a finished profile. Whoever sets the framework gets more profile visits—and with them, more opportunities to fail because of a weak headline or an empty summary. Before you activate it, it is worth reviewing your profile; you can find a step-by-step sequence in the article.Perfect LinkedIn Profile in 6 Steps field.
Frequently asked questions about Open to Work on LinkedIn
How do I activate Open to Work on LinkedIn?
On desktop viaYou > View profile > Open to > Job opportunities. There, you enter job titles, locations, work models and employment types, then click onSave. In the app, tap your profile picture twice, then tap the introduction card.Open to field.
How do I remove the green Open to Work frame?
Open your profile, click in the fieldOpen to job offersto theEdit-symbol and then click onDelete. In the app, the same process works by tapping. Your previous entries are not saved.
Can my employer see that I’m Open to Work?
If you select “All LinkedIn members,” yes—the #OpenToWork photo frame is visible to everyone. If you select “Recruiters only,” LinkedIn states that recruiter users at your current company will not see your career interests. However, LinkedIn explicitly adds: “We cannot guarantee complete privacy.”
What is the difference between the framework and the recruiter version?
The frame is the public option: it appears around your profile picture and is visible to everyone. The recruiter version is discreet—it only shares your details with people using LinkedIn Recruiter and does not change your profile picture.
Does Open to Work hurt my chances?
LinkedIn has not made a statement on this, and we do not know of any reliable figures—the discussion is mainly based on opinion pieces. What can be said objectively: the public frame is a visible signal to your entire network; the recruiter version is not. If the visibility bothers you, choose the discreet option—you do not have to give up the feature itself.
