January 21, 2011

The top 10 words to banish from your LinkedIn profile

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On NWjobs, we give a lot of advice on how to get the most from LinkedIn (examples here, here, here, here, and here). But I don't think we've addressed in how to improve the written content on your LinkedIn profile and make it more specific.

In case you missed it, last month LinkedIn released its list of top 10 overused words and phrases on the site's 85-million-plus profiles. The offenders:

• Extensive experience
• Innovative
• Motivated
• Results-oriented
• Dynamic
• Proven track record
• Team player
• Fast-paced
• Problem solver
• Entrepreneurial

As workplace expert and LinkedIn spokesperson Lindsey Pollak put it, "Phrases like 'extensive experience' and 'proven track record' can appear empty to a potential employer and may do more harm than good when you include them in your profile or resume. If you're using any of these 10 terms, wipe them out."

So what should you say instead?

"[N]ote that you have eight to 10 years of experience or that you increased sales by 300 percent," Pollak advises. "Include meaningful phrases that apply specifically to highlights you've achieved in your career."

The same suggestions apply to your resume and cover letter of course. The job search blog Career Rocketeer suggests banishing these meaningless terms from your resume:

• Excellent communications skills
• Attention to detail
• Experienced
• Seasoned
• Works well independently

As a commenter on Career Rocketeer points out, it's to the resume writer's advantage to parrot keywords from a job listing they're interested in. But that don't take that as license to simply regurgitate throwaway words.

When showing potential employers you have the goods they're looking for, speak their language on your resume and talk specifics. If the listing calls for someone with five years' experience working with content management tools, be sure you get the phrase "content management tool" in there (that is, if you have such experience). If they want an editor who has a proven track record negotiating design changes with graphics departments and web teams, make sure you tell them you have seven years' experience negotiating design changes with the web teams at your last two jobs. You get the idea.

How about you? If you regularly review resumes and LinkedIn profiles on the job, what's your take? What words and phrases would you like to see banished from the job-hunting lexicon?

Michelle Goodman is the author of "My So-Called Freelance Life" and "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide." E-mail Michelle at mgoodman@nwjobs.com

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resumes, social media

2 Comments

Plop on January 25, 2011 6:37 PM | Reply

It’s clear the author of this article used her extensive experience to leverage her proven track record in order to produce this results-oriented, problem-solver article. Now I feel motivated to apply to work at an innovative, entrepreneurial, and dynamic workplace.

flop on February 22, 2011 9:58 AM | Reply

She could have at least had the guts to have a linkedin profile of her own!

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