Remove your Open to Work badge in three clicks
Your Open to Work status on LinkedIn is a badge that tells recruiters you are looking for a job. You can turn it off whenever you want — whether you found a position, changed your mind, or straightforward do not want to be contacted. The process takes less than a minute and does not affect the rest of your profile.
LinkedIn stores your Open to Work setting separately from your job title and work history, so removing the badge does not delete anything else on your profile. Your connections will not be notified that you turned it off. The badge straightforward stops appearing to recruiters who filter for active job seekers.
Key Takeaways
- Open to Work is a separate setting from your job title — turning it off does not change your employment history or profile visibility.
- You can remove the badge from your profile in under a minute using the edit profile button.
- Recruiters will no longer see you in their job seeker filters once the badge is gone, but your profile remains visible to your network.
- You can turn Open to Work back on at any time if your situation changes.
Steps to remove Open to Work on desktop
Start by going to LinkedIn.com and signing into your account. Click your profile photo in the top right corner, then select View profile from the dropdown menu. This takes you to your main profile page.
Look for the Open to Work badge near the top of your profile, usually just below your name and headline. Click the pencil icon next to it. A small menu will appear with options. Select Remove or Turn off (the exact wording depends on your account region). LinkedIn will ask you to confirm — click the confirmation button, and the badge disappears when ready.
If you do not see the Open to Work badge on your profile, it may already be turned off. You can also check by clicking the Edit public profile button on the right side of your profile header — if Open to Work is not listed there, it is not active.
Steps to remove Open to Work on mobile
Open the LinkedIn app and tap your profile photo at the bottom of the screen. This opens your profile page. Scroll to the top where your name and headline appear.
Tap the Open to Work badge if you see it displayed. A menu will pop up with options. Tap Remove or Turn off. Confirm your choice when prompted. The badge will be gone from your profile within seconds.
On mobile, the badge sometimes appears as a small blue label rather than a full card. If you cannot find it by scrolling, tap the three dots next to your headline and look for profile settings — Open to Work controls are usually there as well.
What happens after you remove the badge
Once you turn off Open to Work, recruiters using LinkedIn's job seeker filter will no longer see your profile in their results. This means fewer unsolicited messages from recruiters, which is often why people remove the badge in the first place.
Your profile itself stays exactly as it is — your job history, skills, recommendations, and connections all remain visible to your network. People who already know you can still find you and message you. The only change is that you no longer appear in recruiter searches specifically for people looking for work.
If you have already received messages from recruiters while your badge was on, those conversations do not disappear. You can still respond to them or ignore them as you choose.
Turning Open to Work back on later
If you change your mind and want to start job searching again, you can turn the badge back on using the same process. Go to your profile, find the area where Open to Work used to be (or look in your profile edit menu), and select the option to turn it back on.
LinkedIn will ask you to specify what kind of work you are looking for — full-time, part-time, contract, or freelance. You can also choose whether to let your current employer see that you are looking. These settings are the same ones you chose when you first turned Open to Work on, so the process will feel familiar.
Why recruiters still contact you after removing the badge
Even after you remove Open to Work, some recruiters may still message you. This happens because many recruiters search LinkedIn by keywords and industry rather than using the Open to Work filter. Removing the badge stops you from appearing in one specific search type, but does not hide your profile from all recruiter searches.
If you are getting too many recruiter messages, you have other options. You can adjust your privacy settings to limit who can message you, or you can straightforward ignore and delete messages you do not want. LinkedIn also lets you block specific recruiters if someone is being persistent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my employer see that I turned off Open to Work?
No. LinkedIn does not notify your employer or anyone else when you change your Open to Work status. Your employer can only see it if they specifically visit your profile and look for the badge themselves.
Does removing Open to Work delete my profile?
No. Removing the badge only hides that one piece of information from recruiters. Everything else on your profile — your job history, skills, education, and connections — stays exactly the same and remains visible to your network.
Can I remove Open to Work without people knowing I am no longer job hunting?
Yes. LinkedIn does not send notifications to your connections when you turn off the badge. Only recruiters using the job seeker filter will notice it is gone, and most of your network will never know the change happened.
What if I cannot find the Open to Work badge on my profile?
If you do not see the badge, it is likely already turned off. You can confirm by clicking the edit profile button and checking whether Open to Work appears in your profile settings. If it is not there, the feature is not currently active on your account.
Do I lose my job preferences when I turn off Open to Work?
LinkedIn stores your job preferences separately from your Open to Work status. When you turn the badge back on later, your previous preferences may still be there, though you can change them at that time.