LinkedIn has kindly rounded up the 10 most overused profile buzzwords in the USA
I’m sure people don’t really want to use these words and phrases, but lots of people end up doing so. This is partly because recruiters put these awful phrases in person specifications so you feel the need to respond in kind, but also it’s a herd mentality. “If all my competitors claim they are results-oriented, will I lose if I don’t claim it too?”
If you work or aspire to work in the kind of industry where LinkedIn profiles might help, who isn’t going to claim implicitly or explicitly that they are innovative, motivated, results-oriented, dynamic, a fast-paced team-playing problem solver? Are there any industries calling for hide-bound, lazy, aimless, static, loners?
“Extensive experience” and “proven track record” at least say something concrete about you – that you have been working in/on/at x for some time.
How do you avoid these awful words? I’ve adopted a “show, don’t tell” approach on the latest version of my cv, so I don’t use empty adjectives about myself (no doubt someone will spot one now).
I haven’t gotten rid of all the awful business-speak words yet though. I keep using the word “undertook” or “undertake” – who says that in real life?
