Joanne Meehl

No doubt you’ve heard about silly "hashtag" wars between celebrities on Twitter, where they use insulting words with the hashtag symbol (#) to talk down their competition. 

It’s too bad hashtags (and Twitter!) have gotten embroiled in such silliness, because they are useful tools. In this article, we’ll look at hashtags and how they can help you, in job search or not.

Twitter was one of the first places users could "tag" material so that it would be associated with them. It helped them identify themselves with certain topics. So, for example, I use hashtags such as #jobsearch, #resume, #interviewprep, and similar. Why tag a keyword? Because when other users do searches, they search on those hashtagged terms, to find sources about that subject. You want them to find you, don’t you?

Now you see hashtags in use not only on Twitter, but on Facebook, Instagram, and most notably, now a big thing on LinkedIn. 

Some examples: from a post by an artisan sign maker [https://www.instagram.com/arrowartstudio/] who I follow on Instagram, where owner Sarah Bungan uses several hashtags that are associated with her work:  #arrowartstudio   #napawedding #vineyardwedding   #stainedwood #stainedwoodsign #stainedwoodwelcomesign #timbersign   #woodweddingsign #weddingsignage   #woodsign #welcomesign   #weddingwelcome #weddingwelcomesign #welcometoourwedding #weddingsignmaker   #receptiondecor #bespokesignage   #weddingletters #weddinglettering   #handletteredsigns #freehandlettering   #chalkink   #chalkart #whiteonwood   #norcalcalligrapher #handletteringartist   #napaartist

Can you tell what kind of business she’s after?!

From a post I made on LinkedIn a few days ago, with a link to an article in  The Guardian:

“Are you part of the #gigeconomy ? Where California goes, the country will follow: yes, gig workers have rights. If this comes to your state, how will it affect you?  https://lnkd.in/eiueGvZ #gigworkers #gigeconomy #jobsearch #jobs ”

How do YOU use these,  specifically in your LinkedIn profile?  First, use them IN posts that you make when you share an article or “like” a friend’s post, kind of like Facebook. See my example about the gig economy, above.

Next, use them in the content or at the end of an article you write yourself, to post on LinkedIn. When others search on that topic, using hashtags you’ve used, they’ll find you.

Last, insert them in various sections of your LinkedIn profile, in what you've written about yourself there. That enables search engines outside of LinkedIn to find you.

One advisory: Be honest. Don’t use hashtags just to lure people to your post or your home page, if they are not true for you; often times, social sites will ban you if you do that. 

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In one hour, Joanne can tell you what to do with your LinkedIn profile that will catch the attention of recruiters.

Book time with her now.

It could be your next boss calling: Be sure your phone settings allow phone calls from unknown numbers.

In today’s rush to screen out those annoying spam calls, it’s easy to accidentally block calls from what are called "trunk" lines, meaning internal company numbers. You may tell your phone it’s spam, when in reality it’s the number that goes to your next manager’s desk.

So be sure your settings, at least during your search, lets 'em through. You don’t want to miss those calls!