Do you describe yourself or your work history as “creative”, “organizational”, or “effective” anywhere on your LinkedIn profile? Well, you and 187 million other LinkedIn members had the same idea in 2012 as these words were the top three most overused buzzwords found on LinkedIn Profiles.
Here’s the entire 2012 list of the top 10 buzzwords that are most prevalent in the profiles of U.S.-based professionals:
Take a look at the top buzzwords for a selection of countries in 2012:
- Analytical: Switzerland
- Creative: Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, U.S.
- Effective: India
- Experimental: Brazil
- Motivated: Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom
- Multinational: Egypt, Indonesia
- Responsible: France, Italy
- Specialized: Spain
It looks like we need to spice up our LinkedIn Profile this year. But how do we freshen up our profiles and stand out against the crowd online? Fortunately, LinkedIn experts have outlined some advice for creating a better LinkedIn profile in 2013:
Consider the Opposite: You wouldn’t mention how disorganized or irresponsible you are, and their antonyms (organized, trustworthy, etc.) are wasted words too. Why you ask? Because these are the traits that an employer, client or co-worker expects you to have.
Show, Don’t Tell: Rather than telling everyone who is willing to listen just how creative and effective you are, demonstrate it by using hard data. Integrate numbers to quantify your effectiveness and/or links in your profile to illustrate your creative talents. This is especially important on LinkedIn where you are 12 times more likely to have your profile viewed if you include more than one position.
Consult the Experts: Looking for synonyms to replace the “analytical,” “motivated,” and “innovative” words that litter your profile? Get yourself in touch with the movers and shakers in your industry via LinkedIn Groups and LinkedIn Today and see what new words are on the rise. You also should follow companies that you’re interested in working with (or competing against). What terms are they using to describe the types of candidates they’re looking for? What skills do their top executives have listed in their profiles?
Do you have any of the top 10 most overused buzzwords on your Linkedin Profile? How do you plan to revamp your LinkedIn Profile in 2013?
