Remove your Open to Work badge in three steps

Your Open to Work status on LinkedIn is a badge that tells recruiters you are looking for a job. If you want to hide it, go to your profile photo in the top right, select "View profile," then click the "Open to Work" button (it will say "Open to Work" or show a briefcase icon). A menu will appear — select "Remove" or "Turn off," depending on which version of LinkedIn you are using. The badge disappears immediately.

This is the fastest way to stop recruiters from seeing that you are job hunting. The setting takes effect right away, and no one gets notified that you changed it. If you want to turn it back on later, the same button will let you do that.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Open to Work badge is visible to all LinkedIn users and recruiters unless you remove it from your profile settings.
  • Removing the badge takes less than one minute and happens instantly — no confirmation email or waiting period.
  • You can turn Open to Work back on anytime by clicking the same button and selecting the option to reactivate it.
  • Turning off Open to Work does not delete your profile or change any other settings; it only hides the job-seeking badge.
  • Some recruiters may still contact you even without the badge visible, since they can see your profile and work history regardless.

Where the Open to Work button is located

The Open to Work button sits in the top section of your profile, usually near your headline and profile photo. On desktop, look for it just below your name and job title. On the LinkedIn mobile app, swipe to your profile tab at the bottom, then scroll up to the top — the button appears in the same area.

If you do not see an Open to Work button at all, it means the feature is not turned on yet. You can create one by clicking "Add a section" or looking for job-related options in your profile settings, but if you are trying to remove it, the button should already be visible.

What happens when you remove the badge

Removing Open to Work stops the badge from showing on your profile to other users. Recruiters will no longer see the briefcase icon or the "Open to Work" label when they visit your profile. Your job title, work history, and skills remain visible — only the job-seeking indicator disappears.

This does not prevent recruiters from contacting you through LinkedIn messages. They can still find your profile through search, see your background, and reach out. Removing the badge just means you are not actively advertising that you want a job.

Turning Open to Work back on later

If you change your mind and want to start job hunting again, click your profile photo, select "View profile," and look for the area where the Open to Work button used to be. You will see an option to turn it back on. Click it, and the badge reappears on your profile immediately.

When you reactivate Open to Work, you can also set preferences for the types of jobs you want — full-time, part-time, contract, or freelance. LinkedIn will show these preferences to recruiters, which can help you get more relevant messages.

Why you might want to remove the badge

Some people turn off Open to Work because they do not want their current employer to know they are looking. Others remove it when they have already found a job or decided to stop job hunting for now. Some users hide it because they are getting too many recruiter messages and want to reduce the volume.

If you are still interested in hearing from recruiters but want fewer messages, you can also adjust your notification settings instead of removing the badge entirely. This lets you stay visible while controlling how often LinkedIn notifies you about recruiter activity.

Difference between removing and hiding Open to Work

LinkedIn uses slightly different language depending on your account version. Some users see a "Remove" button, while others see "Turn off." Both do the same thing — they hide the Open to Work badge from your profile. There is no separate "hide" option that keeps the badge active but invisible.

Once you click Remove or Turn off, the badge is gone from your public profile. The only way to make it visible again is to turn it back on using the same button.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my current boss see that I removed Open to Work?

No. LinkedIn does not notify anyone when you remove or add the Open to Work badge. Your boss would only know if they actively visited your profile and noticed the badge was gone — and even then, they would have no way to know when you removed it.

Can I remove Open to Work without deleting my LinkedIn account?

Yes. Removing the badge changes only that one setting. Your profile, connections, messages, and all other account features stay exactly as they are. You can remove and reactivate the badge as many times as you want without affecting anything else.

Do recruiters still see my profile if I remove Open to Work?

Yes. Removing the badge only hides the job-seeking indicator. Recruiters can still search for and find your profile, see your work history and skills, and send you messages. The badge just tells them you are actively looking — without it, they may assume you are not, but they can still contact you.

What if I do not see the Open to Work button on my profile?

If you never turned on Open to Work, the button will not appear. You only see it if the feature is already active. If you turned it off and cannot find the button to reactivate it, try refreshing your browser or closing and reopening the LinkedIn app.

Does removing Open to Work affect my job recommendations?

Removing the badge does not change the jobs LinkedIn shows you in your feed or recommendations. LinkedIn still uses your profile information, skills, and past searches to suggest relevant positions. The Open to Work badge is only for signaling to recruiters, not for controlling what you see.