The whole point of beefing up your LinkedIn profile is to show off your professional experience, right? In order to attract potential employers, your profile really needs to stand out. So if it looks and reads like everyone else’s, your chances of making an impression go *way* down. Plus, using generic language doesn’t really give people a clear idea of what you do and what your skills are. Lucky for you, LinkedIn recently released their top 10 most popular “buzzwords” across all profiles on their site. Keep reading to find out what they are and how you can replace them to make the most of your LinkedIn profile. After all, there’s no reason to be like everyone else when you can shine in your own way.
1. Specialized: Most people have pretty specialized career tracks, so the main problem with using this word is that it states the obvious. Instead of saying you’re a “Marketing Manager specializing in email” you can say you’re an “Email Marketing Manager.” Getting straight to the point isn’t a bad thing. The easier your profile is to read and understand, the better picture people will have of what you actually do.
2. Leadership: The best way to prove you have a desired characteristic is to demonstrate it through example. It’s better to show people that you have leadership skills instead of just claiming to have them. So if you managed a big project in your last job where you supervised multiple people and assets, go ahead and list it under your experience. Don’t be afraid to get specific.
3. Passionate: Have you noticed the trend of people using this word in their tagline? Just because others are doing it doesn’t mean you have to! Here’s why: If you’re actively pursuing a gig in your industry, employers are going to assume that you’re passionate about it. If you weren’t, they wouldn’t be considering you. Instead, try explaining exactly what you love about your job. It will go a long way toward convincing others that you’re invested in your industry.
4. Strategic: Unless your job title contains the word “strategist,” saying you do something “strategic” doesn’t really tell the reader anything about what you do. Try outlining exactly what you do that’s strategic. Do you target specific clients? Maximize press for the brand you work for? Allocate funds to various projects based on priority? There are so many ways you can be strategic, which is why you should make it clear exactly how you are.
5. Experienced: Here’s the deal: Anyone who looks at your profile can see how many years of experience you have. You don’t need to double down by adding that you’re “experienced.”
6. Focused: In place of saying that you’re focused, tell those who are checking you out on LinkedIn what you’re actually concentrated on, whether it’s a major ongoing responsibility or big project you’re currently leading.
7. Expert: Even if you truly are an expert, there’s no need to tell people that outright. Instead, outline the areas where you have the most expertise and allow them to deduce on their own that you really know your stuff.
8. Certified: This one might be hard to remove from your profile if you do have a specific certification, but chances are people will know what you’re talking about if you list the organization or certification’s name by itself. If you can’t figure out how to cut it, don’t sweat it. The main takeaway here is that LOTS of people are certified in one thing or another, so it’s essential that you show how unique you are in other ways.
9. Creative: This is another case of “show, don’t tell.” Rather than simply stating that you’re an inventive, imaginative person, describe how you came up with a creative solution to a problem.
10. Excellent: There are so many other ways to say something is up to a high standard. Have a little fun and think outside the box when you’re swapping out this one. You could go with anything from “high quality” to “first rate” or even “marvelous.” Colorful language will keep people on your profile longer.
Do you have any of these in your profile right now? Do you think you’ll edit them out? Tell us why or why not @BritandCo!
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