A graphic designer’s trick with LinkedIn’s “Open to Work” banner goes viral

With the ironic reference to the LinkedIn banner, she wanted to make a clear statement: No one should be ashamed of being fired and letting others know that they are willing to work.

And it touched a nerve.

Myers’ post received 274,000 likes and over 6,800 comments in the week since it was published. Those numbers shocked Myers, who said she typically interacts with about 200 contacts.

“I was just being honest, so I didn’t feel uncomfortable posting it,” Myers told Business Insider. It was refreshing to be “authentic on a platform where people so often brag – just brag for no reason,” she said.

A controversial banner emerges

LinkedIn introduced its “Open to Work” banner in 2020.

The small image appears above a user’s profile picture. It’s designed to help recruiters find job seekers more easily and signal others in your network to send you job offers. A LinkedIn spokesperson told BI that 40 million people worldwide have added the “Open for Work” frame to their photos.

The LinkedIn spokesperson said the banner was “not a sign of weakness” but rather a way to increase the visibility of one’s profile. He added that users can also make the status visible only to recruiters.

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However, in recent years it has also become the subject of heated online debates. Some consider the banner a distress flare for job seekers, while others see it as the ultimate symbol of desperation and an instant deterrent for potential employers.

Express frustration

Myers did not want to reignite the debate with her contribution.

She was laid off from her job as a graphic designer at a technology startup in December and has been job hunting for about nine months.

Myers lived in London for work but had to move back into her parents’ house after 10 years of living alone. She now lives in Southampton, a suburb about an hour and a half from London, but wants to be independent again.

“For financial reasons, I want to move out. I want to pay rent, which is a crazy statement,” she said.

Myers said she has applied for more than 700 jobs since December and has heard back from fewer than 10 percent of those employers. Those who do respond often require time-consuming sample projects, she said.

They often don’t get back to you until several weeks later or there are cancellations, she says.

“I’m extremely frustrated with the situation because I have a lot of experience and a good portfolio,” Myers said, adding that she has been a designer for six years and has worked on projects for Disney, Universal and Warner Bros.

Myers came up with the idea for the banner over the weekend and initially planned to quietly update her profile picture with the new banner.

“I sent it to my friends in a group chat and they thought it was really funny. So I just posted it without thinking anything would come of it,” she said.

Reaction spectrum

The post has generated a number of reactions since it was shared online. It has also been reposted on LinkedIn and X.

Myers even discovered a post that linked her work situation to the American economy and U.S. politics.

“Someone in America, assuming I was American, blamed Kamala Harris and her poor leadership of the United States,” she laughed.

Other reactions came from people who were frustrated after being laid off and felt encouraged to take more action to deal with their unemployment.

She also received comments from recruiters who said they really liked the green flag and the way it identified candidates who were willing to work. Others seemed to play devil’s advocate, warning her about the signals the “desperate” flag sends and how it could scare off potential employers.

Interview offers

But the debate has also created opportunities.

Along with her “desperate” banner, Myers posted a short note on LinkedIn describing her professional experience.

Myers said she received 10,000 contact requests, including some from recruiters who scheduled interviews with her and companies offering her freelance opportunities.

“My inbox was total chaos,” she said. “I’ve been staying up until 3 or 4 a.m. the last few nights just trying to get through my inbox.”

Although the overwhelming response is a reminder of the power of the internet, Myers does not see herself as an influencer on LinkedIn.

“Honestly, I kind of hate it,” she said. “It’s not a platform I enjoy using. It’s more of a necessity.”

As for the graphic that started it all, Myers uploaded it to LinkedIn for others to use. She said she’s already seen other users updating their profile photos with the pink banner.