{"id":812,"date":"2024-04-22T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/?p=812"},"modified":"2024-04-27T12:06:40","modified_gmt":"2024-04-27T12:06:40","slug":"opentowork-are-linkedin-photo-frames-actually-helpful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/index.php\/2024\/04\/22\/opentowork-are-linkedin-photo-frames-actually-helpful\/","title":{"rendered":"#OpenToWork: Are LinkedIn Photo Frames Actually Helpful?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Welcome to <\/em><strong><em>HubSpot Perspectives<\/em><\/strong><em>, a series where HubSpotters weigh in on the latest business and marketing trends.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe biggest red flag on LinkedIn is the \u2018open to work\u2019 symbol.\u201d This hot take is brought to you by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2023\/10\/31\/dont-use-linkedins-open-to-work-sign-says-former-google-recruiter.html\">former Google recruiter Nolan Church<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>And the dialogue continues. As I browse through my LinkedIn feed, there are still ongoing conversations about the #OpenToWork <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/help\/linkedin\/answer\/a566495\/change-your-profile-photo-frames\">profile photo frame<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Should you use it? Does it work? Is there even a small chance it may make you look desperate or unoriginal as a job seeker?<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"cta_button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/cs\/ci\/?pg=0883861a-7887-4f9f-ab4b-14e6341c1525&amp;pid=53&amp;ecid=&amp;hseid=&amp;hsic=\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"hs-cta-img \" style=\"height: auto !important;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !important;border-width: 0px\" alt=\"Free Kit: Everything You Need for Your Job Search\" height=\"59\" width=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/53\/0883861a-7887-4f9f-ab4b-14e6341c1525.png\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Featured Voices:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/katebazile\/\">Katelynne Bazile<\/a>, Global Team Lead, Emerging Talent Programming &amp; Operations at HubSpot<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/gitasukhraj\/\">Ramona Sukhraj<\/a>, Principal Marketing Writer at HubSpot<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Yes, #OpenToWork has potential.<\/h2>\n<p>But it\u2019s not the only strategy job seekers should be using to land a new role.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn my experience, it seems like the #OpenToWork frame is similar to wearing a t-shirt that says \u201dOpen to Work&#8221; \u2014 it&#8217;ll only get seen if you make yourself seen,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/gitasukhraj\/\">Ramona Sukhraj<\/a>, Principal Marketing Writer at HubSpot.<\/p>\n<p>Sukhraj was recently in the job market herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2018s a visual aid that makes it clear you\u2019re open to employment conversations on the platform, but if you don\u2018t post, engage, or make yourself visible to the right groups, the effort is mostly in vain. So if you\u2019re going to add it, be prepared to be active.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" width=\"598\" height=\"398\" alt=\"The #OpenToWork frame is similar to wearing a t-shirt that says &quot;Open to Work&quot; \u2014 it&#039;ll only get seen if you make yourself seen, Ramona Sukhraj, Principal Marketing Writer, HubSpot\" style=\"height: auto;max-width: 100%;width: 598px\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Quote20Graphic201-3.png\"><\/p>\n<p>In other words, it\u2019s not enough to add the photo frame, sit back, and wait for the job offers to roll in.<\/p>\n<h2>The Recruiter Perspective<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/katebazile\/\">Katelynne Bazile<\/a>, Global Team Lead, Emerging Talent Programming &amp; Operations at HubSpot, shared the same sentiment as Sukhraj when I asked about the effectiveness of LinkedIn photo frames.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile the #OpenToWork and #Hiring photo frames initially served a useful purpose by helping individuals easily identify those seeking or offering job opportunities, the current job market&#8217;s volatility and high number of individuals using these frames have diminished their effectiveness,\u201d says Bazile.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs the frames have become more prevalent due to increased layoffs, they may no longer have the impact they once did when first launched.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And she makes a good point about layoffs. <a href=\"https:\/\/layoffs.fyi\/\">So far in 2024<\/a>, over 74,000 employees have been laid off, including nearly 300 tech companies.<\/p>\n<h2>Unpacking the Hot Takes<\/h2>\n<p>Regardless, Bazile said she wouldn&#8217;t categorize the #OpenToWork photo frame as \u201ca signal of desperation or harmful to job-seeking candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Though she does suggest that there are better ways to make yourself stand out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPersonally, I have found more impact in actively engaging on LinkedIn, interacting with content from key figures and utilizing the platform&#8217;s tools to connect with relevant job opportunities,\u201d says Bazile.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" width=\"598\" height=\"398\" alt=\"While I wouldn&#039;t discourage the use of photo frames, I recommend incorporating additional approaches to effectively reach your target audience, Katelynne Bazile, Global Team Lead, Emerging Talent Programming &amp; Operations, HubSpot\" style=\"height: auto;max-width: 100%;width: 598px\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Quote20Graphic202-2.png\"><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s important to adapt and refine our strategies as the platform evolves. While I wouldn&#8217;t discourage the use of photo frames, I recommend incorporating additional approaches to effectively reach your target audience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s face it \u2014 there are approximately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/5-mindblowing-linkedin-statistics-job-search-harshad-bhagwat-1e\/\">40 million people<\/a> searching for jobs on LinkedIn every week. In today\u2019s job market, it\u2019s important to build your network, start conversations, and <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/job-search-strategy\">create a plan<\/a> to make yourself stand out.<\/p>\n<h2>The Bright Side<\/h2>\n<p>Sukhraj did have some good news to share on the photo-frame front.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will say, when I initially posted a feed update when adding the [#OpenToWork] frame, I received messages from several recruiters within seconds,\u201d says Ramona.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis makes me believe some folks are tracking the hashtag or perhaps even particular job titles.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And this makes sense \u2014 data shows that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/need-know-statistics-hiring-hr-recruitment-dax-bamania-\/\">77% of employers<\/a> are still using LinkedIn to source candidates.<\/p>\n<p>But I\u2019d say the biggest takeaway here is that LinkedIn photo frames are still just one small part of a larger strategy.<\/p>\n<h2>The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<p>To answer the overarching question posed in this article, I\u2019d say yes \u2014 LinkedIn photo frames can actually be helpful. But they\u2019re not made to stand on their own, and you\u2019ll still need to do the heavy lifting to land your next gig.<\/p>\n<p><em>Want to hear our thoughts about a specific topic? Drop your idea in <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/form.asana.com\/?k=gPzE_Pm-PMSExd5dkGuIjA&amp;d=8587152060687\"><em>this form<\/em><\/a><em>, and we may just feature it in an upcoming post.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"cta_button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/cs\/ci\/?pg=57d87eb6-edaf-43e1-ac08-e04e87201d4c&amp;pid=53&amp;ecid=&amp;hseid=&amp;hsic=\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"hs-cta-img \" style=\"height: auto !important;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !important;border-width: 0px\" alt=\"Apply for a job, keep track of important information, and prepare for an  interview with the help of this free job seekers kit.\" height=\"226\" width=\"646\" src=\"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/57d87eb6-edaf-43e1-ac08-e04e87201d4c.png\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" style=\"min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/track.hubspot.com\/__ptq.gif?a=53&amp;k=14&amp;r=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.hubspot.com%2Fmarketing%2Flinkedin-photo-frames&amp;bu=https%253A%252F%252Fblog.hubspot.com%252Fmarketing&amp;bvt=rss\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to HubSpot Perspectives, a series where HubSpotters weigh in on the latest business and marketing trends. \u201cThe biggest red flag on LinkedIn is the \u2018open to work\u2019 symbol.\u201d This hot take is brought to you by former Google recruiter Nolan Church. And the dialogue continues. As I browse through my LinkedIn feed, there are&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=812"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":818,"href":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812\/revisions\/818"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coworkingspacesforruralamerica.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}