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Whether you’re looking for a job, attempting to establish your thought leadership, or widening your circle of connections to include influencers or potential clients, your LinkedIn profile is a key component of your personal brand. Before a call, meeting, or any other type of professional networking, people will usually stop by the LinkedIn profile of the individual they’re meeting — so it’d better be interesting, complete, and above all, memorable.
But how can a potential employer or client remember you if your summary sounds just like everyone else’s? LinkedIn recently released its annual list of the most overused words on the social networking site, and I’m guessing everyone has at least one of these on their profile. (I know I do.)
Here are the top 10 global buzzwords, in order of their overuse:
- Motivated
- Passionate
- Creative
- Driven
- Extensive experience
- Responsible
- Strategic
- Track record
- Organizational
- Expert
It’s probably not terrible to have one of two of these lurking on your page. But if you’ve included all 10? Time for a rewrite.
Catherine Fisher, LinkedIn’s director of corporate communications, recommends avoiding these words altogether by providing illustrative examples. For instance, instead of claiming to be “motivated,” describe the long hours you put in trying to get a new project off the ground. Rather than slapping the word “creative” on your headline, post your work on your profile, and list any awards celebrating your inventive work.
However, in certain instances, a simple synonym is all you need. Here are some suggestions to portray the same meaning in a not so tired way.
- Motivated – ambitious, determined, compelled
- Passionate – ardent, impassioned, zealous
- Creative – inventive, original, cunning
- Driven – intent, persistent, tenacious
- Extensive experience – seasoned, accomplished, proven
- Responsible – conscientious, accountable, reliable
- Strategic – significant, consequential, high-priority
- Track record – history, background, credentials
- Organizational – administrative, managerial, authoritative
- Expert – authority, pro, professional
Is this list inspiring you to launch a major profile overhaul? Check out this infographic for section-by-section guidance. With a fresh and unique profile, it’ll be much easier to become an expert (oops, I mean authority) in your industry.
