Did you use one of these 10 most overused buzzwords in your LinkedIn profile this year?
Wonder what really makes people cringe when they look at your LinkedIn Profile? It’s those clichéd words and phrases. You know what they are — those ambiguous ones that really don’t tell you anything.
As we head into 2011 our Analytics Team decided to take a crack at finding the most clichéd and overused phrases for the past year using over 85 million LinkedIn profiles. Here are our 2010 top 10 buzzwords used in the USA.
Top 10 overused buzzwords in LinkedIn Profiles in the USA – 2010
- Extensive experience
- Innovative
- Motivated
- Results-oriented
- Dynamic
- Proven track record
- Team player
- Fast-paced
- Problem solver
- Entrepreneurial
Given the broad reach of LinkedIn across the world we went a step further and took a look at how overused terms are reflected around the world. While members from the USA, Canada and Australia tend to emphasize their “extensive experience”, Brazilians, Indians and Spaniards identify themselves as “dynamic” professionals. Members in the UK call themselves more “motivated” and the French, the Germans, the Italians and the Dutch see themselves as “innovative”.
Here’s a chart we put together that shows you the #1 most overused LinkedIn profile buzzword in each of those countries. Not surprisingly, in most cases, the closer you are geographically the similar the most overused buzzword.
The most overused buzzword in LinkedIn Profiles in 11 countries – 2010
- Extensive Experience – USA, Canada, Australia
- Dynamic – Brazil, India, Spain
- Motivated – UK
- Innovative – France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands
Your LinkedIn profile is an extension of your brand, and with the New Year just around the corner, this is a perfect time to take a closer look your profile. Give your profile a makeover now by making your it more actionable, from start to finish and lose those clichéd terms.
Happy holidays from the LinkedIn Analytics Team!
trackback
http://blog.linkedin.com/2010/12/14/2010-top10-profile-buzzwords/trackback/
Jeff Zelaya December 14th, 2010
I’m surprised that “Social Media Evangelist” didn’t make it. I’m so tired of seeing that one and still can’t quite figure out what it means.
TroyRoark December 14th, 2010
Oh… if I hear one more person use the word “transparency” this year, someone is going down! :)
Simon Hamer December 14th, 2010
I think I might have escaped, but I can think of several that have used it. ;-)
Merry Christmas, Linkedin.
Simon
Martin December 14th, 2010
interesting and funny!
Alvaro Kasillas December 14th, 2010
Todo es cuestión de dinamizar, he ahí el argot…
FELIZ NAVIDAD…
Aya S. December 14th, 2010
No “Detail Oriented”?? That’s my favorite one!
Phil Winterhalder December 14th, 2010
So I presume I should add all of those to my profile, so I come up more often in searches!
Darryl Stevens December 14th, 2010
Working at a career center, I see #’s 2, 3, 4, 6 & 9 on almost every resume I review. Often I will suggest a student take out these words and phrases as being essentially meaningless, only to see the student’s resume two months later including not only these, but adding “quick learner” and “dependable.”
Michael Goetzman December 14th, 2010
The workforce needs similar buzzwords to justify spending! Why not play the game? :)
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Geoff Selvidge December 14th, 2010
Interesting that Spain – the land of siesta and Mañana – has ‘dynamic’ as #1 buzzword…
Karen Emanuelson December 14th, 2010
The Top 10 Buzzwords translated into a LinkedIn professional headline:
“Problem Solver with Extensive Experience as a Results-Oriented, Innovative, Motivated Team Player. Proven Track Record in a Dynamic, Fast-Paced Entrepreneurial Environment”
RIchard December 14th, 2010
Odd… I would have thought “Banana-Hammock,” “Fahrvergnügen
” “bendy” and “fantastical” would have made the list…..
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Bob Fiddler December 14th, 2010
Wow, what a innovative and dynamic posting. Thanks!
Peter Taliangis December 14th, 2010
Need to update my profile.
Will have to find a way to include the top ten.
1.Extensive experience
2.Innovative
3.Motivated
4.Results-oriented
5.Dynamic
6.Proven track record
7.Team player
8.Fast-paced
9.Problem solver
10.Entrepreneurial
Thanks for the research and the opportunity to get in on the action :)
Regards
Peter
Peter Taliangis
Real Estate Agent
Keith Rasmussen December 14th, 2010
OK, scratch those…but can I slip in “Analytics” somehow?
Ken December 14th, 2010
It looks like I’ll have to dust off my thesaurus.
Joe McCarthy December 14th, 2010
Interesting, on several dimensions.
I suspect that the use of well-worn words and phrases may cause human eyes to glaze over, but I do wonder whether some of them may be essential “reading” by automatic keyword scanning systems increasingly used for pre-screening prospective employees.
BTW, are the top keywords in countries for which English is not the primary language in English or do they represent English translations of the most popular words in the primary languages in those countries?
Jani P December 14th, 2010
The worst cliche in there is “making your it more actionable”…
brwcollect December 14th, 2010
Great collections of terms. Now I know what to use.
Marc Ziner December 14th, 2010
Until another problem-solving team leader is creatively motivated to innovate with more dynamic words and phrases, I’m stuck with these. Enjoy the Holidays!
Chris Grayson December 14th, 2010
Manu,
I can’t believe you closed with the word “actionable” and the phrase “clichéd terms” in the same sentence, without irony (at least you didn’t tell us to make it an “action-item”).
I come a bit too close on my page, using “Extensive Knowledge of…” preceding a sentence about my “Experience.” But I managed not to use them sequentially.
I though the über cliché marketing term of 2010 was “authentic voice,” a marketing buzzword, about not using buzz words.
cheers,
Chris
Craig James December 14th, 2010
It’s perfectly acceptable to present a problem, as long as you offer up a solution. If you’re suggesting using these “buzzwords” is a problem, what’s the solution? What words do you suggest as replacements that still convey the same notions, yet don’t compromise accuracy?
Certainly, using concrete, quantified examples is preferable, but probably not appropriate for the “Summary” section at the top of the resume. Suggestions for replacement words here?
The LinkedIn Blog » Did you use one of these 10 most overused buzzwords in your LinkedIn profile this year? « | Ultimate English December 14th, 2010
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The LinkedIn Blog » Did you use one of these 10 most overused buzzwords in your LinkedIn profile this year? « « Sales is an art and a science! December 14th, 2010
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Don Synstelien December 14th, 2010
Since LinkedIn is nice enough to show us what search terms bring visitors to our profile most frequently, I can tell you that no buzzword has ever brought someone to my profile.
Over the last two years, The top search terms people have used to find me have migrated from “MySpace” (I used to work there) to “iPhone” (I’ve led a team that designed and built iPhone apps) to “Android” (same)
This migration of search terms seemed to happen in lockstep with: 1. the fall of Myspace (after I left, natch), the rise of the iPhone app store and the subsequent recent Android hype.
In general, these number one search terms resulted in around 5-10% of all traffic to my profile. Almost all other search terms were some combo of my first name (Don), or some very specific functional detail of what I’ve worked on or worked as.
While I’m just one guy, and my profile is probably far from perfect. But it seems like a smart approach to writing your profile would be to just describe what you do/have done and avoid buzzwords altogether.
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litips December 15th, 2010
I’m guessing France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands are very innovatie countries… ;-)
Great blog post! This just goes to show how crucial a truly unique profile is.
Perry van Beek
Did you use one of these 10 most overused buzzwords in your LinkedIn profile this year? « Neville on WordPress.com December 15th, 2010
[...] [...] Your LinkedIn profile is an extension of your brand, and with the New Year just around the corner, this is a perfect time to take a closer look your profile. Give your profile a makeover now by making your it more actionable, from start to finish and lose those clichéd terms. via blog.linkedin.com [...]
Bruce N. Goren December 15th, 2010
Interesting! Okay, I’m guilty of using “Extensive Experience”, but only once.
Meanwhile, I have to laugh, talk about clichéd terms!
You actually wrote the word “actionable” in the final grammatically crippled sentence (“making your it” ???) of this blog entry.
How about some statistics on how often the shiny new and already tiresome business buzzword “actionable” is used in self-help business tip stories, blogs and web pages?
Joe VanDerBos December 15th, 2010
What if one actually IS dynamic, motivated, innovative and has extensive experience? Follow the sheeple anyway, I guess. Change ‘em. Next up: a report saying “innovative” resumes don’t work. Stick to a traditional telling of your vitae, and make sure they include key words. Ugh.
Licia December 15th, 2010
Let’s make our profiles more “actionable” and see if the adjective makes next year’s list! ;-)
Michael Shilling December 15th, 2010
I would also like to say my entrepreneurial spirit in this dynamic and fast-paced business shows that not only am I a team player but also a motivated individual with a results-oriented proven track record and extensive experience as a innovative problem solver.
Scott Irving December 15th, 2010
What was the method used to determine phrases that are overused? Just a count of usage or was there other criteria?
patrickseguin December 15th, 2010
I don’t see anything wrong with using “Extensive experience” as long as that’s followed by what that experience consists of, and related accomplishments.
Nazar Kudrevskyy December 15th, 2010
A phrase “young aggressive individual” always makes me wonder: why is it in order to make a good impression on someone, you have to be aggressive.
Another cliche is also boring as hell and overused: “Ability to work under pressure”.
Lalit December 15th, 2010
This is awesome report based on profiles. I did a detailed analysis of LinkedIn referrals. http://goo.gl/v0qwz
Chris Durso December 15th, 2010
Can’t the same be said for all of the job listings as well? Every company is looking for a self-motivated, results-oriented problem solver with extensive experience. It’s a wonder why no one can find a job.
Rolff Zwiep December 15th, 2010
Good post!
I’ve been bored by these terms for far too long and am glad to see others are as well. Here’s another one thats been on my RADAR for ‘overused’ and meaningless: the term “reach out”. It is old, tired and impresses no one.
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Zena Smith December 15th, 2010
I didn’t use any of them.
Im just superior.
Steve Paul December 15th, 2010
Great article! These words don’t look any better on reumes either!
Steve
http://www.notesfromthejobsearchseattle.blogspot.com
David Chernick December 15th, 2010
‘Oops!’ we all cry out!
There’s nothing wrong with saying you’re motivated, dynamic, or inovative. Except when everyone starts using the same words! I agree they lose their meaning.
They also make readers filter out what you’re saying.
There’s a similar problem on corporate websites. Most are liberally decorated with gobbledygook words like ‘engage’. Here are some more: http://www.treacl.com/communication/enough-with-the-engage-already
Shanmugam December 15th, 2010
Interesting.. I use the word ‘Team player’ sometimes in my resumes but i guess I don’t have any of the cliched words in my profile..
pinboard December 15, 2010 — arghh.net December 15th, 2010
[...] The LinkedIn Blog » Did you use one of these 10 most overused buzzwords in your LinkedIn profile th… RT @mikeloukides: Nice bit of analytics: most overused buzzwords in LinkedIn profiles. (On the LinkedIn blog) [...]
Clif Thompson December 15th, 2010
yeah, I better go over my profile too.
Ronnie Manning December 15th, 2010
Great article – Along the same lines, I put together a piece on overused Marketing/PR Buzzwords a few months ago – http://bit.ly/100PRBuzzwords
Roy C Anthony December 15th, 2010
” As a valuable team-player in my organization, I possess extensive experience in (insert_field_of_expertise) and am valued as an innovative, results-oriented and entrepreneurial individual. In the bounds of my career I have a proven track record as a motivated and dynamic problem solver who thrives in working in fast-paced environments. ”
Looks like an opportunity to hit search-engine nirvana!! hahaha!! Ignoring the inclusion of these words may be more of a detriment, than avoiding them. Pack them all into a single paragraph for extra points!!
Dean Peters December 15th, 2010
So what we’re saying then is that job seekers believe that employers are “… Looking for an innovative, motivated & dynamic w/a proven track record & extensive experience as a team player to work at a fast-paced entrepreneurial place as a results-oriented problem solver …”?
Erik Oswald December 15th, 2010
Chris, you are exactly right! I think the trick is to SHOW that you are those things, without simply saying them. It would be helpful if the job descriptions themselves were more…descriptive…as well, though, right?
Robin Anderson December 15th, 2010
I guess we’re left with simple words – “I can do the job and get the work done” or a really good Thesaurus.
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chrispash December 15th, 2010
good work. keep it up,
I do a weekly cliche of the week column and these fit well with those to avoid
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As bad as they are, (and they are) if we’re tuning our profiles to be found based on key words, then we need know that HR departments aren’t using them either…
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LB December 15th, 2010
Guess being “versatile” especially in this job market, is not seen as a over used term.
Ben CB December 15th, 2010
I agree with Rolff, the next person who ‘reaches out’ to me is going to get throttled!
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Barbara Parks December 15th, 2010
What’s the buzz? Just tell the truth. Cite words from a past performance review. Match words from the job post requirements. Use the thesaurus. Anything to stay away from those tired old resume writing article buzzwords. . .
SN December 15th, 2010
So which terms should we be using?
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Innovative Beziehung gesucht?…
Etwas zum Lächeln und Nachdenken gefällig? Nun, dann sollten Sie überlegen, wie sich selbst in sogenannten „Sozialen Netzwerken“ beschreiben – und ob Sie zukünftige Arbeitgeber oder Liebhaber ansprechen wollen. Als „außerordentlich Erfahren“ beschrei…
Christine Ferrere December 16th, 2010
I dont think that the first HR screaning would start with any of those keywords at all. Those words are all very subjective and only reflect how a person wants to promote herself.
So maybe a huge gap between what the person is and how she wants to be seen or perceived.
“Key keywords” are all keywords related to facts, specialties, specific expertise, companies, industries. All the blurb around is just there to make it nice and maybe “professionally written”?
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mike December 16th, 2010
What about “High on Life”, “charged, but never convicted” or “Pauly Shore”? I use those all the time.
Alex Freund December 16th, 2010
When talking about yourself you are the “seller”. The reader is the “buyer”. The buyer questions everything you say since he knows that you want to sell and he is in no position or mood to buy. Unless, you present facts or someone else describes you. On your LinkedIn profile communicate accomplishments rather then tasks. Readers are oblivious to overly used adjectives.
Bruce McCullough December 16th, 2010
If they are true then use them and be able to explain why. You take a bigger risk when you don’t use them. I don’t want someone wondering why I’m not a team player, innovative, focus on results, as a leader a visionary, etc.
Gloria December 16th, 2010
Leveraged. Please people do something other than leveraged…
Phil Blakeway December 16th, 2010
What a biased comment that of Geoff Selvidge: siesta & mañana & Spain… I strongly recommed him to avoid overused clichés.
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Murray McLachlan December 16th, 2010
Our Australian cousins call these the “weasel words”!
The one I see most is the dreaded “proactive”.
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kevin cassidy December 16th, 2010
i’m in tears laughing at this – took the words out of my mouth
Sean December 16th, 2010
While I’m inclined to agree that some of these words are over used,I can’t help but blame the HR rejects that post those very words in job adverts. Maybe companies need to hire less dynamic,team player, self-motivated idiots to write job discriptions. I mean, lets face it we’re all out there to make the bucks and get the promotions for ourselves, to hell with the team. In fact I wish to start a new revolution called, “I’m Great, Hire Me.”. In reality there is always one poor loser in the “team” that carries every on else any way. Why not do away with the “team” and make employees more competitve against each other. While the meek may inherit the earth, It’s the cut throats that get to the top. Just something for you all to think about.
Dee December 16th, 2010
I guess this means we have to pull out our thesaurus…I can understand changing the text and theme or your summary, but when you post your cv / resume online and have to give it a title, how does one stand out from the gazillions of other resumes if you just write ‘admin’ ? I agree with the writer above, there should be another article on what buzz words employers DO want to see…
Tsu Dho Nimh December 17th, 2010
How about scavenging the top 10 meaningless phrased from the posts made by HR departments?
Steven Capsuto December 17th, 2010
Yet another blogger telling people what words he or she thinks should be considered “in” or “out.”
Yawn.
Paula December 17th, 2010
Interestingly enough, these are the same buzz words employers use to describe the applicant they’re looking for.
Lori Matchell December 17th, 2010
Yet another blog on what NOT to do. How about including what TO DO along with it? Are there any words left that we can use?
Alain Cardon December 17th, 2010
You want to sound cool about being naively spontaneous? just say you are resonating with emerging phenomena in your pertinent environment.
Rod December 17th, 2010
I am so glad the word “interface” has not made it back to the top 10. Don’t want to puke any more.
Sam December 17th, 2010
Your list gave me pause to think — and chuckle.
One of the most overused phrases I’ve seen in job descriptions is “fast-paced” along with “multi-tasking”. There’s nothing fast-paced in the current American economy or multi in the few tasks left after outsourcing American jobs.
martin December 18th, 2010
some people just have too much time on their hands..
Bob December 18th, 2010
Wow, no wonder I don’t get calls out of the blue with job offers anymore. I think I use ever one of those “buzzwords”
Guess it doesn’t matter that I’ve built three multi-million dollar companies. It’s the damn buzzwords that are holding me back from building my fourth.
Meredith Alleruzzo December 18th, 2010
Hi,
My favorite example of overused jargon is “utilize”. As stated in the Oxford dictionary, “utilize may strike readers as pretentious jargon and should therefore be used sparingly.” It really is a bit much, and strikes me like nails on a blackboard every time I hear it, particularly from individuals demeanor doesn’t match its use.
Reference
Oxford University Press (2010). Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from
http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_us1303292#m_en_us1303292
Forest December 18th, 2010
Where is the word is people person
The LinkedIn Blog » Did you use one of these 10 most overused buzzwords in your LinkedIn profile this year? « | Think Networks December 19th, 2010
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John Reed December 19th, 2010
We who were fortunate to attend Tuck can create crisp, pointed writing while skipping the ‘Top 10′ – and hopefully we do. Great topic – thank you.
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erin rojas December 19th, 2010
Maybe we should start telling what to do. Lets make a positive world, enough of the negativity.
happy holidays everyone!!!
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[...] What can you do if these words are on your resume? Look to turn them into acomplishments. If you are “results-oriented” tell us how. In fact if you take any of the words and ask yourself “how did I do or acomplish that” you’ll have a resume that highlights your acomplishments and stand out out from the crowd. http://blog.linkedin.com/2010/12/14/2010-top10-profile-buzzwords/ [...]
Maria Marsala Coach Maria December 20th, 2010
Well, I’ve never cringed when they see these words, but I do think that these words don’t say anything to help me get to know someone
What can you do if these words are on your resume? Look to turn them into acomplishments. If you are “results-oriented” tell us how. In fact if you take any of the words and ask yourself “how did I do or acomplish that” you’ll have a resume that highlights your acomplishments and stand out out from the crowd.
Alan December 20th, 2010
It’s interesting how managers and HR types promulgate buzzwords and cliches to ensure comfort-inducing groupthink, then jeer at people for sounding too conformist. Notice, for example, how the use of the phrase “thinking outside the box” is itself an example of thinking within the box.
Erik Oswald December 20th, 2010
Asking the question “What?” can be a good strategy, too. Instead of simply claiming that you are results oriented, describe the results of your work. This goes away from the summary section a little bit, but is essential for the body of a resume.
Recycle your Resume « career40plus December 20th, 2010
[...] take a look at this list published by LinkedIn, of the most overused buzzwords in the resume world. I’ll admit to two of them on my [...]
What the Gregg?! December 21st, 2010
[...] this article: http://blog.linkedin.com/2010/12/14/2010-top10-profile-buzzwords/ and check your [...]
10 Overused Buzzwords That Can Kill an Otherwise Impressive Resume — JR Fent: Technical Recruiter December 21st, 2010
[...] benefit from reading my recent post on bad profile photos). He just rounded up the year’s 10 most overused profile buzzwords. Granted, a LinkedIn profile isn’t exactly the same as your resume — or is it? I think [...]
Falta imaginación para diferenciar nuestro perfil en LinkedIn – Un mundo complejo December 21st, 2010
[...] fin y muchos de nosotros utilizamos las redes sociales para buscar un nuevo empleo o colaboración, LindekIn nos comenta en su blog la escasa originalidad a la hora de vendernos que tenemos en general. Es difícil escribir nuestro perfil y no caer en la [...]
Joe Van Riper December 21st, 2010
My new profile:
“Totally raw individual with no usable background, clueless to what ‘think outside the box’ even means, feels like maybe getting a better job, if it’s convenient and easy to do. Low-keyed, sporadic performer with spotty credentials. Prefers to work alone without pressure in a laid back, trouble-free environment. Works best when given uncomplicated, routine tasks with no set schedule or deadlines. Poses no threat to insecure middle management.”
Yeah… that’s a whole lot better!
Emily December 22nd, 2010
Funny, I don’t think I have used ANY of these overused words in my resume. Maybe that’s why I found a job? :)
Michael Fogg December 23rd, 2010
The description that most grates with me is ‘guru’. It’s a word that has been used about me by a number of people. All of them work in new media.
The number of self-styled gurus in the world makes me think that some of them must be fakirs.
The LinkedIn Blog » Why a Neurosurgeon became a Data Scientist at LinkedIn « December 23rd, 2010
[...] data to potentially track and anticipate a slew of trends, from personnel migration to tracking overused resume buzzwords and more. There’s almost no limit to what we can [...]
If You’re Looking For A Job, Don’t Use These Words « Mumbai Boss December 24th, 2010
[...] of phrases. Professional networking site LinkedIn analysed over 85 million user profiles to find the most “clichéd words” and “overused phrases” that make potential employers cringe when they read a resume. Breaking it down country-wise, [...]
Les termes les plus utilisés sur LinkedIn | Neoweb Mag : Rework December 24th, 2010
[...] ajoutéePro-actifCentré sur les résultatsSi vous voulez en savoir plus rendez-vous sur le blog de LinkedInVous devriez aimer :Tendances de la Silicon Valley et LeWebHootsuite, le tableau de bord des [...]
Maurene Caplan Grey December 24th, 2010
Recruiters and hiring managers don’t search LinkedIn (or other candidate sites) on buzzwords, e.g. “problem solver.” However should they find a profile because of a desired skill, does “problem solver” strengthen or weaken an otherwise stellar profile?
Valuable research would be to do an analysis on the impact of buzzwords against a position’s desired words. That is, would a hiring manager be “turned off” by a candidate’s profile that appears to have all the right qualities for the job and yet executes with an entrepreneurial focus?
Biju Kurian January 1st, 2011
While its heartening to see the LA team bring up the most overused, cliched terms, I have reason to believe that the tail chasing is partly justified and recruiters, run-off-the-mill ‘career coaches’ and candidates are equally responsible.
The validation/screening of any resume is a bipartite process and in today’s highly competitive and digital marketplace, one uses what one perceives the other to most likely look for – now whether its by human intervention or through technology is a separate topic.
For many hoping sound relevant minus cliches, the 2011 list may not see any of these terms.
Who’s setting the new trend now?
Bob Jackson/TV/WEB January 1st, 2011
Time to use your own language. Perhaps a combination of hyper synonyms developed to impress and confuse at the same tine. Remember Marshall McCulhan, the medium is the message, the message is the medium. Perhaps something such as. “Obliquely transposed cross platform strategies.”, or “I ran both on TV and the Web.”Sounds like the kind of thing that we should be incorporating in our resume’s and language.The fact that you work your butt off doesn’t mean as much, unless you can compose a unique way to describe a hip “webby tech pro-noun” for your mundane effort such as. “Maxed all niche App content opportunities.” After a while you’ll sound like you are so webby hip and live with you head in the “cloud”, that you are the one they’ve been looking for. Unfortunately, I see this bogus non-speak, B.S. work everyday with people still trying to figure out how to operate their toaster.
J J Luranc January 3rd, 2011
wow and “low-hanging fruit” didn’t make the cut?…maybe its #11.
Jennifer Scott January 3rd, 2011
I am grateful to a colleague for pointing out this post. Actually, they pointed out an article in the Chicago Tribune, which mentioned this post. (http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/jobs/chi-linkedin-job-cliches-010311,0,82925.story) While I do not disagree with the premise of the article in the Tribune, I would not go as far as saying that these terms will “hurt” your chances of getting a job. I do agree there are often better ways to say things that will help set you apart from the crowd. Meanwhile, this is not a new story. For YEARS recruiters and resume-writers alike have discussed the overused, watered-down, and even misused clichés and what we used to call “action verbs” which started off every bullet point. LinkedIn is just a different vehicle for this. What I do agree with wholeheartedly is the emphasis on the importance of results, achievements and accomplishments throughout your LinkedIn profile, including the summary. And, I will continue to be a proponent for industry and function specific keywords which, by LinkedIn Search definition, will help you get found by recruiters and those who are sourcing on their behalf. Focus on what you have done, how you have done it, and what happened as a result. What hiring managers care about is how it will benefit them. The question is, “How did you make your employer money, save your employer money, or help your employer achieve their goal?” If you don’t answer that on your profile, then you might want to rewrite it.
Mercedes January 4th, 2011
Spain is not nowadays the countrie of the Siesta and toreros this is a old topic faraway from the reality. But unfortunately DYNAMIC is not a word that define a country where evryone is looking for subsidy, subvention or the the help of the state and to get work get bussiness or do things trough the political contacts. SUBSIDY MENTALITY will be the nes wordbuzz to define the Spaniard mentality
Overused buzzwords « Dr Mark's Business Psychology Blog January 10th, 2011
[...] http://blog.linkedin.com/2010/12/14/2010-top10-profile-buzzwords/ [...]
F | OutsideIN January 11th, 2011
[...] most over-used words and jargon in Press ReleasesA great list of overused phrases and words on LinkedIN profiles (broken out by country) TweetShare this PageBe the first to comment!Add a CommentCancel ReplyName * [...]
Is Facebook and Social Media close to “Jumping the Shark”? « RichardRashty's Blog January 18th, 2011
[...] 10 most overused LinkedIn buzzwords by region (linkedin.com) [...]
Epic Find! LinkedIn’s List of Overused Buzzwords Goes Viral « Kaz Exchange January 20th, 2011
[...] Click here for the original LinkedIn posting. [...]
The Do’s and Don’ts to Landing a Summer Internship « PRestige Agency January 20th, 2011
[...] used so often that they lose their meaning. Check out the most overused buzzwords from LinkedIn: http://blog.linkedin.com/2010/12/14/2010-top10-profile-buzzwords/. Also, companies can tell when you are sending out the same cover letter and simply changing the [...]
Quora January 21st, 2011
What companies have the best understanding of how to harness vast amounts of data?…
If you’re talking about “vast amounts of data” then I’s suggest people who have worked with massive data sets for example folks from CERN, NASA, National Weather Service, Google, and Yahoo. That’s *really* big data. If you’re talking about people…
Phrases to Avoid on Your Resume - Career & Employment Resources February 23rd, 2011
[...] LinkedIn's Top Ten Overused Resume Phrases Posted: Feb 23 2011, 02:02 PM 0 comments Please leave a comment [...]
James March 12th, 2011
It’s quite amusing that HR people hate the buzzwords, but fill an ad with them when trying to hire someone. They hate when a potential candidate doesn’t list salary requirements in their resume, but never seem to list what a job is paying in the ad either. Everything HR hates about job seekers is exactly what job seekers hate about HR people.
The only difference between the two is that the job seeker generally has a remote clue as to what a job entails, unlike HR people who use generic garbage they learned in “HR School.” Seekers can also spell the names of the tools they use properly as well. If I see one more ad where I see the HR person asked for “Photo Shop skills using a MAC” I’m going to puke.
Jerry Shelton March 14th, 2011
At the end of the day, buzzwords need to be maximized in order to leverage their integration into a robust mechanism utility. The meta data must be measured and driven by a one-to-one initiative. Each brand delivery vehicle will build equity while executing inventory containment measures at core distribution points. Shuttering low performing operations essentially ensures cost avoidance. Low performing personnel collateral contribution to debt service submits desirable outcomes as the soft economy responds to our unilateral approach to business.
(please excuse me while I go throw up)
Marcie Judelson March 16th, 2011
Couldn’t agree more – and I am guilty of using some of those terms myself. However, the average job description contains nothing BUT buzzwords – why is that acceptable? If I see the P-word (“passionate”) one more time, I’ll scream. Not to mention “thrives in a fast-paced, demanding environment”, “exceptional attention to detail” and “consistently communicates the brand voice”. The buzzwords have completely taken over – and so has the b.s. Many job applicants are merely echoing back the cliche-ridden language in the ads. And after a while, it all loses its meaning.
Tiffini Flynn Forslund March 27th, 2011
I guess I am doing alright then because I don’t think I have used any of these 10 words.
Amber April 5th, 2011
As a recruiter, I really don’t mind seeing these as long as they are true. Please don’t say you are detail oriented, if you are going to misspell items in the resume. Do not say you are innovative, if you can’t give an example of an innovation. Most of these buzz words are found in job descriptions. I see that a lot of people are confusing buzz words with key words. Key words are your actual technical skills that qualify you for a job. The items talked about in these articles are soft skills and adjectives. I agree with most people on this article. It doesn’t surprise me though, when I ask candidates about their strongest skills, they always start telling me that they are a problem solver, when I really just want to know their strength in their career of choice. Getting back to buzz words…there are only so many appropriate words to replace these words. If we start using “creative” or some other synonym instead of “innovative” what happens then?
Amber April 5th, 2011
Also, I try not to take advice on profiles from people who don’t have a good LinkedIn profile themselves. Also, the person who made this article has a run on sentence at the beginning of his profile.
The LinkedIn Blog » Blog Archive 4 Easy Ways to Spring Clean Your LinkedIn Presence « April 7th, 2011
[...] use to describe yourself. They might be doing more harm than good. Last month, LinkedIn released a list of the top 10 LinkedIn profile terms that are most overused by professionals based in the United States. According to LinkedIn data, [...]
4 Easy Ways to Spring Clean Your LinkedIn Presence | CITI Recruitment - IT Jobs - IT Recruitment April 7th, 2011
[...] use to describe yourself. They might be doing more harm than good. Last month, LinkedIn released a list of the top 10 LinkedIn profile terms that are most overused by professionals based in the United States. According to LinkedIn data, [...]
Social Media Marketing: 4 Easy Ways to Spring Clean Your LinkedIn Presence | THE BLOG OF CHRISTINE HUEBER April 8th, 2011
[...] use to describe yourself. They might be doing more harm than good. Last month, LinkedIn released a list of the top 10 LinkedIn profile terms that are most overused by professionals based in the United States. According to LinkedIn data, [...]
Stan Dubin April 8th, 2011
I could rework these buzzwords into something like:
My extensively motivated and dynamic track record results in a proven team orientation that every fast-paced, problem-solving entrepreneur will appreciate.
Adrian April 9th, 2011
@Marcie Judelson
I suppose recruiters can afford to fill their page with buzzwords because they are not trying to compete for the job candidates. A recruiter can save a lot of time by throwing a handful of buzzwords into a job ad and still communicate the requirements of the job adequately. Job candidates need to compete with each other so that being unique in terms of buzzwords will make them standout more. Of course, there are no set rules on how someone brand themselves, all of these are a natural product of competition. No one is required to echo back the buzzwords from the ads, it’s one way to write a resume, but definitely not the best/only way to write it.
Marc Pharoah April 12th, 2011
I have not read all the comments, but I hope that I share the same views of some comment providers.
Yes, these words are common, but what is the definition of ‘over used’ or ‘cliched’ in this context. I would suggest that if these words are commonly included in job requirements, (as they are in LinkedIn.com job specs), then it makes sense for the applicant to use similar words to show that they match the requirements. Applicants should remember that filtering on key words is used by many organisations.
However, these words should be used with caution and in the right context.
jojagiello April 15th, 2011
I am pleased to say that not one of those appears on my profile or CV. I generally find that if you have to tell someone you’re motivated for example…you’re probably not! You should be able to show your attributes through your successes. you can follow my Tweets here http://www.twitter.com/jojagiello
Mary April 18th, 2011
I would like to see the top ten LinkedIn profile buzzwords put side-by-side with the top ten buzzwords on profiles to see if there is a “connection.” It would also be very informative as a job seeker.
Mary April 18th, 2011
I would like to see the top ten LinkedIn profile buzzwords put side-by-side with the top ten buzzwords in job postings to see if there is a “connection.” It would also be very informative as a job seeker.
Mark Cowtan April 19th, 2011
Very useful information, especially the geographic differences. Thanks a lot for the amusing topic.