A channel recruitment leader has weighed in on the controversial topic of LinkedIn’s ‘Open to Work’ banner, urging job seekers to activate them.
The green tags are “nothing to be ashamed of”, Zoe Chatley asserted during The Channel Community’s (TCC’s) inaugural career-focused webinar this afternoon.
The event was designed to help those recently affected by redundancy – as well as those wishing to advance their career – to regain control of their future.
It came ahead of TCC’s first physical event of the year next Thursday.
Former CDW exec Yvonne Matzk founded TCC in 2021 in a bid to create a community for people in the IT industry wishing to lend their support to the next generation of talent. It is in the process of becoming a Community Interest Company.
“Be proud of the green banner”
Zoe Chatley, who is Founder and CEO of The Channel Recruiter, advised those caught up in the recent tech jobs cull to activate their Open to Work banners on LinkedIn, despite some recent controversy over their usage (see here).
“If you’ve got a green banner on your profile, be proud of it,” she said as she addressed how job seekers can stand out in a tough market.
“There’s been a lot of adversity around this, and people feel quite negative about putting it up, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Chatley added.
“It does let people know you are actively looking for a new position. The amount of people who do get snapped up because they’ve got those green banners on is amazing.”
Like a lot of industries, the channel “has taken a bit of a hit in terms of vacancies”, Chatley acknowledged, noting that a recent marketing role she hired for had over 500 applicants.
“We are in a position where there are more candidates on the market than open vacancies,” she said.
Chatley also advised candidates to contact the recruiter or hiring manager directly.
“Don’t be afraid to let them know you’ve seen the job, that you feel your skills really align well to it, and that you’ve applied for it but because of the amount of applications you just want to come out at the top of their pile,” she said.
“I’ve had a lot of candidates have success in getting noticed by being proactive rather than applying and waiting.”
Mindset and goal setting
The webinar also saw Matzk talking about moving from a “fixed” to a “growth” mindset.
“Mindset is a significant factor in getting a new job or enhancing your career. It shapes whether we can learn, change and grow – or not,” she said.
CAE Director Aggrey Lutta explored the importance of goal setting, meanwhile (see slide from his presentation, above).
In a famous Yale University study, the three percent of graduates who had set clear, written goals for their future and made plans to accomplish them earned ten times more than their peers, Lutta pointed out.
“That just goes to show how important it is to have goals written down and some direction in life,” he said.
The recording is available to all members of TCC, in the members area of the website. Sign up below.
TCC’s in-person Own Your Future networking event will take place on Thursday 25 April.
On the call, Matzk urged those impacted by tech layoffs to attend the event, where she said TCC’s mentors “will have no hesitation in offering support and advice”.
“We appreciate that it’s not easy to ask, especially when it’s an environment that can feel a bit intimidating. There’s none of that at our events, or with our membership – everyone is there for the sole purpose of giving back and helping,” she said.
Doug Woodburn is editor of IT Channel Oxygen
