Finding a new job can be challenging, but using the right hashtags on LinkedIn can make the process easier. Hashtags help target your profile and make you discoverable to recruiters searching for specific skills or experience. Using relevant hashtags allows you to get your profile in front of hiring managers even if you don’t have a large network on LinkedIn.
The key is identifying the right hashtags to use based on your industry, location, job function, and experience level. Here are some tips on choosing effective LinkedIn hashtags to help find job opportunities.
Industry-Specific Hashtags
Start by thinking about hashtags related to your particular industry or field. For example, if you work in social media marketing, some hashtags you could use are #socialmediamarketing, #smm, #digitalmarketing. For an accounting role, consider hashtags like #accounting, #accountant, #finance.
You want to include broader industry terms as well as niche or specialty area hashtags. Don’t be too narrow or specific though – you still want the tags to be commonly searched. Do some research to see which related hashtags are most widely used on LinkedIn to maximize your reach.
Popular Industry Hashtags
| Industry | Sample Hashtags |
|---|---|
| Technology | #technology #tech #IT #softwareengineer #developer |
| Marketing | #marketing #digitalmarketing #socialmediamarketing #contentmarketing |
| Finance | #finance #financialservices #accounting #accountant |
| Healthcare | #healthcare #nurse #doctor #health #medtech |
| Education | #education #teaching #teacher #highered #k12 |
Location Hashtags
Your location is also key information to highlight. You’ll want to include hashtags for the city, state, or country you are targeting for job opportunities. Some examples:
- #HoustonJobs
- #Boston
- #Madrid
- #BayAreaJobs
- #London
You can combine the location hashtag with industry hashtags to further target your profile, like #BostonMarketing or #AustinTech.
Job Function Hashtags
Think about hashtags that describe your particular job function or area of expertise. For example:
- #sales for a sales professional
- #nurse for a nurse
- #engineer for an engineer
- #projectmanager for a project manager
- #writer for a writer
Make sure to include variants like #salesprofessional or #engineers as well. You can also get more niche with hashtags related to specializations like #javascriptdeveloper or #icunurse.
Experience Level Hashtags
Finally, consider adding hashtags that indicate your experience level. Some examples:
- #entrylevel
- #newgrad
- #internship
- #associate
- #senior
- #management
- #executive
This helps hiring managers immediately understand your overall level of experience if it’s not clear from your title and work history alone.
Tips for Using Hashtags
Here are some additional tips for utilizing LinkedIn hashtags effectively:
- Include hashtags in your LinkedIn headline to ensure visibility. You’re limited to 120 characters so pick the most important.
- Add relevant hashtags to the experience descriptions for each position listed on your profile.
- Choose 5-10 hashtags total to keep your profile focused yet discoverable.
- Experiment to see which hashtags yield the best engagement and results.
- Adjust hashtags as needed over time based on your career progress and goals.
- Use hashtags consistently across posts to establish your brand and expertise.
- Don’t over-hashtag – too many can look spammy.
Best Times to Use Hashtags
You don’t necessarily have to include hashtags in every single LinkedIn post. But here are some key times when hashtags can be particularly helpful:
- When actively looking for a new job – Hashtags help make your profile visible and searchable for recruiters.
- When establishing yourself as an industry thought leader – Associating yourself with relevant hashtags builds your personal brand.
- When promoting content or achievements – Adding hashtag mentions helps expand your reach and followers.
- When attending industry events or conferences – Event hashtags help connect you with other attendees.
- When announcing career updates – Hashtags signal your interests and qualifications to your network.
The more consistent you are, the better your chances of coming up in keyword searches and expanding your visibility in the process.
Tracking Performance
It’s important to track which hashtags are performing best for you over time. LinkedIn provides some data on the top hashtags used in your posts and how many impressions they received. You can also use third-party analytics tools for more comprehensive hashtag performance tracking.
Look at which hashtags are driving the most profile views, post engagement, and new follower growth. Drop any underperforming hashtags and optimize your choices based on data. You may uncover some unexpected hashtags that end up working well for your goals.
Examples of Top Hashtags
Here are some examples of widely used LinkedIn hashtags to give you ideas on what to include:
| Industry | Location | Job Function | Experience Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| #accounting | #chicagojobs | #financialanalyst | #entrylevel |
| #healthcare | #bostonjobs | #nurse | #newgrad |
| #technology | #sandiegojobs | #javadeveloper | #senior |
| #marketing | #nycjobs | #digitalmarketer | #management |
Conclusion
Using relevant LinkedIn hashtags makes it easier for recruiters to find you when searching for your skillset and qualifications. Include a mix of industry-specific, location-based, job function, and experience level hashtags to maximize visibility. Analyze performance regularly to refine hashtag choices over time. With the right hashtags, your dream job could be just a click away.