LinkedIn, the social networking site for professionals, has released a list of the most trite, cliched, and overused buzzwords that litter resumes and professional profiles.
To compile the list, LinkedIn looked at profiles from its more than 85 million members from a dozen countries including the U.S. It turns out that some countries’ professionals prefer the same cliches. Folks in the U.S., Canada, and Australia like to describe themselves as having “extensive experience.” Professionals in Brazil, India, and Spain most frequently opt for the adjective “dynamic” to describe their professional qualities. Ironically the word “innovative” is most often called upon in German and Dutch profiles.
Here’s LinkedIn’s complete list of throwaway words and phrases in U.S. profiles:
- Extensive experience
- Innovative
- Motivated
- Results-oriented
- Dynamic
- Proven track record
- Team player
- Fast-paced
- Problem solver
- Entrepreneurial
With the national unemployment rate well over 9 percent, you might want to consider eradicating these phrases from your own professional documents and profiles next time you’re trying to impress an employer.
