Avoid cliches to shine in profiles
Overused and trendy buzzwords used to impress can end up haven’t the opposite effect, finds
inkedIn has revealed its top 10 buzzwords for 2017 — a list of the most overused words on New Zealand LinkedIn profiles — and recommends avoiding these cliched words if you want to show originality and personality when highlighting skills. Professional network LinkedIn analysed millions of profiles worldwide to compile the 10 worst offenders from the past 12 months. In New Zealand, the most hackneyed buzzword is strategic, followed by passionate and specialised. So, why might these top 10 buzzwords be unimpressive or meaningless to prospective employers? Strategic — makes you sound shrewd and clever but doesn’t actually say what you can do. Passionate — passion i s not an emotion you should associate with work. Yes, be keen and enthusiastic, but save passion for your lover, a favourite hobby or a good cause. Specialised — you’re not so special when almost everyone these days i s branding themselves as a “specialist”. Leadership — anyone can be a leader but you need to make it clear whether you’re an emotionally intelligent leader or an arrogant know- it- all. Creative — this means thinking up solutions and is a fundamental requirement of most jobs. Experienced — every employer knows that attitude and aptitude are more important than experience. Focused — means putting your head down and doing your job, as you’re supposed to. Innovative — this means nothing to an employer unless you can show what you’ve ‘ innovated’ lately. Expert — like specialists, “experts” are a dime a dozen and really, if you’re not doing your job expertly, you shouldn’t be doing it. Successful — success is intangible and means different things to different people. If these words do little to communicate why we’re good at our jobs, why is the world using them? Author and biographer Christopher Sandford says there are several reasons: Ease: Using new language and being creative with the words on our profile can be a daunting prospect and it requires effort. Opting for common buzzwords requires less thought and is often a more convenient approach. Everyone else does: We’ve seen our peers use buzzwords and assume it’s the right thing to do — we think they sound professional without giving much thought to what the word really means.
Christopher Sandford
Association: Some of us use buzzwords as a way to illustrate and convey belonging to a certain group, or industry. It helps us to feel part of something and like we fit in. Appearances: Buzzwords are often used to seem knowledgeable when we’re not confident talking about our professional achievements.
Writing about ourselves is a challenge and using buzzwords is a way to avoid specifics.
Shivar Kumar, LinkedIn head of communications Australia & New Zealand, says “LinkedIn data shows you only have five to 10 seconds to impress a potential employer online, so it’s important to stand out from the crowd.
“Using the right words and