Stop Saying You're Open to Work. Start Saying What You Want.

Stop Saying You're Open to Work. Start Saying What You Want.

Date: 19 May 2025

It’s wild how many people post “Open to Work” on LinkedIn like it’s a badge of honor… and then leave it at that.

No context.
No clarity.
No direction.

You wouldn’t walk into a restaurant and say, “I’m hungry,” and then stare blankly at the waiter. You’d tell them what you’re in the mood for: pasta, sushi, steak, something vegan, whatever. Otherwise, they’re just guessing.

Well, that’s exactly what hiring managers and recruiters are doing every day—guessing what you want.

And you know what they do with guesswork?
They move on to someone who made it easy for them.

Vague Doesn’t Get You Hired

Here’s the brutal truth:

Just saying you're “Open to Work” doesn’t make you stand out.
Saying what you actually want does.

Example:

Bad Post

Open to opportunities! Let’s connect.

Good Post

Senior Product Manager with 6+ years in Web3, focused on DeFi and L2 solutions. Open to Series A-B stage companies building real infrastructure. APAC or remote preferred. Known for zero-to-one builds and simplifying complex onboarding journeys.

^ That’s someone we can place in under 3 weeks.
Why? Because they’re giving us something to work with.

Real Story: The Invisible Talent

We had a candidate in Berlin. Killer profile. Unicorn background.
Said he had applied to over 80 jobs. Zero callbacks.

We asked him to redo his "open to work" post. He followed our formula, added a little personality, and hit publish.

Within 48 hours he had 3 founder DMs and a call with a VC portfolio recruiter.
Two weeks later? Hired.

Here’s What to Include in Your Post:

✅ Your ideal job title/role
✅ Industry niche (e.g., NFTs, DeFi, DAOs, wallets, infra)
✅ Level of experience (be honest—own it)
✅ Preferred company stage (Seed? Series A-C? Public?)
✅ Location preference or remote/hybrid needs
✅ One-liner on what you do best or how you bring value

That’s your blueprint.

Bonus: What You Don’t Want

Example:

Not looking for early-stage startups right now—prefer stable teams with clear product-market fit.

Perfect. Now we’re not going to waste your time with jobs that don’t align.

Other Real-World Scenarios

Case Study 1: The Generalist Engineer
Wrote: “Open to new tech roles.”

We helped him rephrase:

Full-stack engineer with 4 years in Web3 wallets and payment rails. Open to mid-sized teams shipping fast. Prefer backend-heavy roles in stablecoins or zk tech.

Got two interviews within 5 days.

Case Study 2: The Growth Marketer
Initial post: “Open to Marketing Roles. Ex-Coinbase.”

Rewritten:

Performance marketer with $10M+ ad spend managed across Web3 apps. Looking for Series A-B companies building L2 infra or high-retention dApps. I don’t do brand-only roles—I’m a growth-first operator.

Got into a hiring pipeline with a top-20 protocol the next week.

Final Words: Recruiters Aren’t Mind Readers

The market’s noisy. Hiring managers are overwhelmed.
So if you want to cut through the chaos, don’t just wave the “Open to Work” flag. Write the damn playbook.

Tell us:

What you want
What you’re good at
What you won’t compromise on

Because when you show up with clarity, confidence, and direction—you’re already 10 steps ahead of everyone else.

Still struggling to stand out?

Neil offers one-on-one career consultations to help you get clear, get seen, and get hired. HERE

P.S. If you’re a hiring manager struggling to attract or close top-tier Web3 talent, we’ve seen this movie before — and we know how it ends. Skip the pain and bring in pros. Reach out to us HERE

Looking for a job? Reach out to us HERE

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Stop Saying You're Open to Work. Start Saying What You Want.