Are you a results-oriented team player with a proven track record? Or are you a fast-paced problem solver with extensive experience? Chances are, if you’re any of these things, then you’re also a job-seeker using LinkedIn, the social network for the career-minded, and you’re guilty of using some of the top clichés and buzzwords of 2010.
According to the company’s blog, these words and phrases are culled from more than 85 million profiles and consist of gems like “motivated”, “dynamic” and “fast-paced”.
Take a look at the top 10 list of overused buzzwords and you’ll find a littany of unspecific, generic phrases that people love to use.
LinkedIn took the data one step further and examined how these terms were clustered according to region. It seems that there are an awful lot of “innovative” folks in Europe, while those with “extensive experience” are in North America.
It may be December and therefore time for everyone (us included) to release their big “Top 10” lists of the year, but analysis of aggregate data is always a favorite. It used to be, you might need to interview a smattering of headhunters, managers and other decision-makers to determine this sort of data. Now, we have LinkedIn and its list of 85 million “resumés” to let us know what words not to use when describing ourselves to prospective employers.
