Lots of job seekers say they're perfectly comfortable using the banner. A data scientist cheerily told me he isn't easily embarrassed. A business-development professional said she feels that people ...

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.

It shows you're serious. When Scott Lieberman, the founder of Touchdown Money, sees the “Open to Work” banner on someone’s LinkedIn profile photo, he knows that person is serious about ...

A graphic designer has gone viral on LinkedIn with a bold new '#Desperate' banner, clapping back at claims that the 'Open to Work' feature makes job-seekers appear desperate.

In July alone, according to LinkedIn, 40 million users were letting their Open to Work flag fly. But most of the people I talked to expressed hesitation about the banner.

Whatever the banner's intentions, it can serve to amplify the sense of shame that often comes from being unemployed. "It invites a lot of questions," said Dylan, the laid-off tech worker.