LinkedIn Open to Work for Part-Time Roles: How to Tell Only Recruiters

The short answer

You can set up LinkedIn Open to Work for part-time roles in about five minutes. Pick part-time as your job type. Then set visibility to Recruiters only.

Recruiters searching for part-time candidates can find you. Nobody else sees a banner on your photo.

That is the quick version. Below is the step by step, what each option really does, and the one thing most people miss after they switch it on.

Why this question comes up so often

A lot of professionals want something specific right now. Fewer hours. Flexible work. A role that fits around family, studies, or a business they are building.

But they do not want to announce it to their whole network. Maybe they are still employed. Maybe they are coming back after a break and want to test the waters quietly. Maybe they just do not like the green banner.

So their profile says nothing, and recruiters assume they are not interested. The good news is that LinkedIn already has a setting for exactly this. Most people just do not know where it is.

If you are returning after time away, read how to add a career break on LinkedIn first. Then come back here.

How to set Open to Work for part-time roles, step by step

These steps are for desktop. The LinkedIn app follows the same order.

1. Go to your profile. Click the Open to button under your name and headline.
2. Choose Finding a new job.
3. Add the job titles you want. Use the titles recruiters actually search for, like “HR Executive” or “Content Writer”. Skip internal titles only your company uses.
4. Add your locations and workplace type: on-site, hybrid, or remote.
5. Under job types, tick Part-time. If part-time is all you want, untick Full-time. Otherwise you will get full-time messages you have to turn down.
6. Under visibility, choose Recruiters only.
7. Save.

Already have Open to Work switched on? Click the pencil icon on the Open to Work box at the top of your profile. You can change job types and visibility there.

LinkedIn moves its buttons around from time to time. If a label looks slightly different on your screen, look for the same options in the same order.

Recruiters only vs All LinkedIn members

Recruiters only means only people using LinkedIn Recruiter can see that you are open to work. That is the paid tool recruiters and hiring teams use. There is no banner on your photo, and your connections will not see it.

All LinkedIn members adds the green #OpenToWork frame to your profile photo. Everyone who visits your profile can see it.

One honest caveat. LinkedIn says it tries to hide your status from recruiters at your current company, but it cannot promise that completely. If you are employed and privacy really matters, keep that in mind.

So which one should you pick? If you are employed, start with Recruiters only. If you are between roles or returning after a break, and you are happy for people to know, the public banner can also bring referrals from your own network.

The setting alone will not get you found

Here is the part most people miss. Open to Work tells recruiters you are available. It does not tell them you are the right person.

Recruiters search by keywords. Job titles, skills, tools. If your headline and About section do not use the words they search for, you will not show up in their results. Open to Work or not.

So once your setting is on, check three things:

• Your headline names the role you want next, not just the one you had.
• Your About section mentions the kind of work you are looking for. If you are comfortable being open about it, one line like “Looking for part-time or flexible roles in HR operations” helps a lot.
• Your skills section lists the skills that match those roles, in the words recruiters use.

We wrote more about this in why your LinkedIn profile might be invisible to recruiters.

Three mistakes to avoid

Leaving full-time ticked. If you only want part-time, say so. Otherwise your inbox fills with roles that do not fit, and you spend your energy saying no.

Vague job titles. “Any role” or “Open to opportunities” does not match anything a recruiter types. Name the actual titles you would accept.

Forgetting to switch it off. When you land the role, update or turn off Open to Work. Otherwise the messages keep coming, and at a new job that can feel awkward.

A small setting that makes a real difference

Wanting part-time or flexible work is nothing to hide. It is simply information recruiters need so they can find you.

The setting takes five minutes. Making sure your profile backs it up is where the real work is.

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