Linkedin's new #OpenToWork feature will help lawyers seeking jobs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic
Miguel Florit
Trusted legal recruiter to CEOs, CFOs and GCs ?? Finding Lawyers to help your business thrive! ?? 30 years of Legal Sector insight ?? Florit Legal also helps GCs to build high-performing and stable legal functions.
What is the #OpenToWork Feature?
Linkedin’s latest update allows you to add a new #OpenToWork photo frame to your profile picture, as in the example above, to let companies and recruiters know you are looking for opportunities. It works in a similar way to Facebook’s temporary profile photos.
The new Linkedin photo frame adds a green circle with #OpenToWork on the bottom left side, over the top of your usual profile picture.
How does it help legal job seekers?
As a lawyer looking for a new role on LinkedIn you can set your profile preferences in such a way as to alert recruitment consultants and talent acquisition teams, using premium Linkedin Recruiter accounts to filter potential candidates by their availability.
The new feature gives job seekers the advantage of standing out, not only to professional recruiters, but also to people with standard Linkedin accounts, since you can choose to "Share with all Linkedin members" and not just recruiters. That way, the new #OpenToWork photo frame will be applied to your main profile photo, and not just how your profile is perceived by recruiters using premium Linkedin Recruiter accounts.
LinkedIn have been sending out emails with information on how to set your #OpenToWork photo frame. So, if you're a lawyer who finds yourself urgently looking, you can now add the #OpenToWork photo frame and share your job preferences with the LinkedIn community at large to receive wider support.’
Previously, users have had to insert phrases into their profile summaries, which have limits on the number of characters used. So this is now an alternative, which is much more likely to get noticed.
Given the unpredictable nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the effect it is having on the legal profession and legal recruitment, this is a useful feature for LinkedIn to have introduced, which will hopefully have a positive impact.
How to enable #OpenToWork
To enable or manage the #OpenToWork feature, head over to Linkedin's help page.
