Optimizing Open to Work on LinkedIn

The following post explores the topic of Optimizing Open to Work on LinkedIn.

Is your Open to Work section positioning you for the right opportunities? It’s a small part of your profile – but it plays a big role in how you’re discovered by recruiters.

Read: Adding Featured Media on LinkedIn

Related: Tips for Boosting Engagement on LinkedIn

Whether you’re actively job hunting or just open to new opportunities, optimizing the Open to Work section can help you attract the right attention from recruiters and hiring managers.

Here’s what you need to know.

Overview

If you’re unfamiliar, the Open to Work feature on LinkedIn allows you to let recruiters (and optionally your entire network) know that you’re open to new job opportunities.

You can set preferences such as job titles, locations, start date, and job types (full-time, remote, contract, etc.) to help LinkedIn tailor job suggestions and improve your visibility in recruiter searches.

The Open to Work feature helps recruiters understand your preferences. But simply turning it on isn’t enough. For best results, you need to make sure your selections are aligned with what you’re targeting.

Below is a screenshot of an empty Open to Work section on LinkedIn.

Job Titles

The job titles you select in your Open to Work section directly influence how recruiters find you – and what types of roles you’re considered for.

LinkedIn allows you to choose up to five titles, so you need to be strategic. Think of this section not as a reflection of your past roles, but as a statement of your target roles.

Here’s where it gets tricky: LinkedIn’s dropdown options include many variations of similar roles, and not all are equal. For example, if you’re targeting project management roles, you’ll see options like Project Manager, Senior Project Manager, Technical Project Manager, IT Project Manager, Junior Project Manager, and Construction Project Manager. Each variation speaks to different industries, levels of experience, or functions.

To optimize your job title selections:

• Choose titles that align with how recruiters in your field typically label the jobs you want.
• If you’re open to multiple titles, select ones that reflect your experience across levels (e.g., Project Manager and Program Manager) or industries (e.g., Marketing Manager and Brand Manager).
• Avoid redundancy. Don’t use all five slots on slight variations of the same title unless you have a highly specialized focus.
• Be intentional. Don’t include aspirational titles that you’re not yet qualified for.

Below is a screenshot of different project manager titles on LinkedIn.

Location Preferences

The location section of LinkedIn’s Open to Work settings may seem simple, but it’s actually kind of tricky. The locations you select will directly affect whether or not you appear in a recruiter’s search.

You’re allowed to select up to five locations, and your choices should be guided by a combination of where you’re willing to work and how recruiters actually filter candidates.

Here’s where it gets tricky: LinkedIn’s location options include multiple overlapping geographic labels – and not all are treated the same in recruiter searches. For example, if you’re looking for jobs in the Chicago area, you might see options like Greater Chicago Area, Chicago, Illinois, United States, Cook County, Illinois, or even just Illinois, United States. Each of these has a slightly different reach and may show up differently depending on how a recruiter structures their search filters.

Some recruiters use metro areas, while others narrow by city or broaden by state. Choosing the wrong type or a less common label could reduce your visibility, even if you’re in the right geographic region.

To optimize your location selections:

• Choose broader areas when possible. If you live in a small town or suburb (e.g., Kenilworth, IL), listing only that location may limit your visibility. Instead, select Greater Chicago Area or Chicago, Illinois to appear in a wider pool of searches.
• If you’re open to commuting, list locations beyond your current city – but make sure they’re realistic.
• Don’t list five distant cities just to expand your exposure. Focus on the areas where you’d genuinely accept a job offer.
• Avoid wasting slots on overlapping labels that may not increase your visibility (e.g., listing both Cook County and Chicago). Go with the version most likely used by recruiters.

Below is a screenshot of different Chicago-based locations on LinkedIn.

Start Date

Selecting your desired start date is relatively straightforward but still worth choosing carefully. You’ll pick either “Immediately – I am actively applying” or “Flexible – I am casually looking.”

While it doesn’t drastically affect your visibility, this field helps recruiters gauge your urgency and availability. If you’re actively seeking a new role and ready to start soon, mark yourself as immediately available. If you’re just exploring what’s out there or waiting for the right fit, choose the flexible option.

Location Types

Here, you can indicate what kind of work environment you’re open to: On-site, Hybrid, and/or Remote. You can select more than one, and doing so can widen your visibility in recruiter searches.

Just make sure your selections reflect your actual preferences. If you’re only interested in remote roles, don’t check on-site or hybrid just to appear in more searches – it won’t help if the jobs aren’t a fit.

Employment Types

This section allows you to indicate the types of employment you’re open to, including Full-time, Part-time, Contract, Internship, and Temporary. You can select as many as apply.

Be intentional on this section. If you have no interest in part-time or temporary roles, leave them unchecked. Selecting only the options that reflect your true preferences helps avoid wasted time – for all parties.

Visibility

When setting up Open to Work, LinkedIn gives you two visibility options: share your status with recruiters only, or make it visible to all LinkedIn members (which adds a public “Open to Work” banner on your profile photo).

The choice comes down to how private or public you want your job search to be. For more information about visibility, check out this article I wrote: Choosing Your ‘Open to Work’ Visibility Settings on LinkedIn.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, I hope this article helps you make the most of your Open to Work section. Your selections can have a real impact on your visibility and the quality of opportunities that come your way.