Hashtags are huge, and they’re everywhere. For those of us who have been living under a rock, hashtags are essentially the pound symbol (#) followed by a word or phrase that links your social media post to said word or phrase. They make your posts searchable, and because of this, can be a great tool for the job search.
The great thing about hashtags is that they make you more visible to potential employers, that is, if you use them the right way. Make sure that you aren’t using obscure hashtags that employers are unlikely to see. An easy way to avoid this problem is to use hashtags that the employer uses themselves. For example, if your desired employer has posted a tweet or a post including the hashtag #(companyname)hiring then you should use that hashtag in your response to the post. This way, if the employer clicks on their hashtag, they’ll see you.
Another great option is to use the top hashtags associated with hiring, because those are the types of hashtags employers are perusing to find their next potential employees. And, luckily for you, you don’t have to find them, PayScale has already done the work for you, here’s the list:
- #hiring or #hireme
- #jobsearch
- #careers
- #recruiting
- #RTjobs
- #tweetmyjobs
- #employment
- #nowhiring
- Hashtag the actual company’s name that you’re applying to
- Hashtag credentials or skills that help you stand out (e.g. #MBA or #PhD)
If you aren’t already following the companies that you’d like to work for, go do it. That way you’ll have easy access to the newest information about the company, and of course, you’ll see their hashtags. Though using hashtags isn’t a guaranteed way to land a position, increasing your visibility doesn’t hurt your chances. So get out there, start using hashtags and #gethired.
