The 10 Most Overused Buzzwords: Get Creative And Stop Using The Word ‘Creative’
Most job seekers have two things in common: They need a job and they would describe themselves as creative. LinkedIn recently released its annual list of the 10 most overused buzzwords in LinkedIn profiles and, once again, “creative” was at the top of the list.
Job seekers also like to use the words “organizational,” “effective,” and “motivated.”
According to US News, the 10 most overused buzzwords on LinkedIn for 2012 are roughly the same as the words on the 2011 list. There were only two additions this year: “responsible” and “analytical.”
Here are the most overused buzzwords on LinkedIn:
- Creative
- Organizational
- Effective
- Motivated
- Extensive experience
- Track record
- Innovative
- Responsible
- Analytical
- Problem solving
There are now more than 187 million people using LinkedIn around the world, and, if you want to stand out, you’re going to have to avoid some of these buzzwords. Thankfully, LinkedIn has a few tips to make sure that your profile gets noticed.
LinkeIn writes:
“At a time when there is more content out there than you could ever possibly hope to read, quality—and not quantity—has become the absolute standard for standing out and getting noticed.”
LinkedIn suggests that people should avoid buzzwords because they are typically characteristics that your potential boss is going to expect you to have anyway. The job site also recommends that job seekers use hard data to describe their characteristics instead of flashy buzzwords.
“Rather than telling everyone who is willing to listen just how creative and effective you are, demonstrate it by using hard data. Integrate numbers to quantify your effectiveness and/or links in your profile to illustrate your creative talents.”
What do you think of LinkedIn’s most overused buzzwords? Do you think describing yourself as creative is detrimental to your job prospects?
