Linkedin’s job-seeking solution comes with both success and shame

But first, I’m low-key looking for a job.

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The big story

Not open to being open

One of the biggest debates on the internet has nothing to do with politics, the market, or sports. Instead, it’s about your LinkedIn profile picture.

The argument focuses on the benefits or downsides of using the Open to Work banner on LinkedIn after losing your job.

That last sentence alone might have elicited an internal reaction from some of you. Like it or not, the banner is viewed by some as “the digital-age equivalent of standing on the sidewalk wearing a sandwich board that reads Job Wanted,” writes Business Insider’s Aki Ito.

And besides the shame job seekers might feel, some people believe the banner comes with a risk. Touting that you are #opentowork could actually discourage recruiters from reaching out, so the thinking goes. Welcome to the internet in 2024.

The result is a “bizarre” environment: One where job seekers worry that showing you’re looking for work will actually make it harder to get a job, a source told Aki.

“Saying ‘we can’t hire you because you said you want a job’ is like saying ‘we can’t feed you because you said you’re hungry.'”

Not everyone is scared of the banner.

About 40 million users signaled they were #opentowork in July. And for good reason.

Only one of the eight recruiters Aki spoke to said the banner would give them pause when looking at a candidate. Several even said they actively seek out candidates who publicize that they’re open to work.

But the #opentowork hesitation could be more about our personal biases than what recruiters might think. The negative reaction to the banner, while not fair, is understandable.

For many, #opentowork represents our corporate mortality. A little ugly reminder that we could be next on the chopping block.

None of that, however, should stop someone from using every tool in their arsenal to get a job.

And even if you still feel embarrassed about using the banner, rest assured there’s plenty of stuff people should be hesitant to post.

LinkedIn has gotten incredibly weird since the pandemic. People are comfortable oversharing intimate details on what’s meant to be a professional network. In some cases, they’ve even used it as a place to find a date.

News brief

Top headlines

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1. The stock-half-full view. Americans who own stocks generally feel much better about the economy than Americans who don’t. The gap between the top one-third of stock owners and those who don’t own any stocks has never been wider, and those who feel good have reason to — the S&P 500 has soared nearly 50% in the past two years.
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2. Nvidia’s got some competition. The chip giant’s dominance isn’t certain in one particular area of AI computing: inference. Demand for inference chips will only increase as AI matures, and the field is growing crowded with formidable competitors, like the ex-Googler-founded Groq and the California powerhouse Cerebras.
3. Supersized seed rounds shake up VC. The earliest stage of the startup market is getting out of control. As investors rush to fund the next big startup, the amount they’re willing to pledge upfront has ballooned in the past three years. The $5 million-plus seed round might be the new normal.

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2. Meet the quiet luxury millionaires. Not all millionaires have flashy homes and cars. Six wealthy-on-the-DL people told BI their strategies for growing and keeping wealth that are at odds with a loud-luxury lifestyle. Here’s how they build wealth modestly without sacrificing comfort.
3. The most promising healthcare AI startups, according to VCs. AI is dominating healthcare investments this year as VC funding picks back up after a slump. BI spoke to leading VCs to identify 22 companies using AI to improve cardiovascular care, insurance payments, and more.

In other news

What’s happening today

• Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s memoir is released.
• Russian president Vladimir Putin visits Mongolia.

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Grace Lett, associate editor, in Chicago. Milan Sehmbi, fellow, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.