CollegeRecruiter.com partner, LinkedIn, today released the most overused words and phrases in 2012 in the profiles of its members. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with more than 187 million member so if any organization should know about profiles, it is LinkedIn.
The No. 1 most overused buzzword in LinkedIn Profiles globally and for professionals based in the United States is “creative.” Here’s the entire 2012 list of the top 10 terms that are most prevalent in the profiles of U.S.-based professionals:
“Every day potential business partners, clients and employers are searching for professionals on the Web,” said Nicole Williams, LinkedIn’s career expert. “If you want opportunity to come knocking, you’ve got to make your LinkedIn Profile stand out from the pack. Millions of professionals say they’re ‘creative,’ so set yourself apart by describing and linking to projects you’ve worked on that truly were different, unique and compelling. Pointing to concrete examples of the creative work you’ve done is more convincing than simply stating you are a ‘creative’ professional.”
This is the third year that LinkedIn has issued its buzzwords ranking. “Creative” was also the top overused buzzword for professionals in the U.S. in the 2011 rankings. In 2010, the first year the study was conducted, “extensive experience” was the No. 1 buzzword for professionals based in the U.S. When LinkedIn released its first buzzwords ranking, the site had over 85 million professionals. LinkedIn now has more than 187 million professionals and is growing at a rate of approximately two new members per second.
For a global flavor, here are the 2012 No. 1 buzzwords for countries in which LinkedIn fielded this study:
If the buzzword bug bit your LinkedIn Profile, here are a few ways you can remove the sting and make your profile sparkle in 2013:
Check out the competition
Become a magnet for endorsements
Make heads turn… with a killer professional headline
Posted in Advice for Candidates, Job Search, Networking, Partnerships, Resumes, Shameless Self-Promotion, Social Media | Tagged Tagged buzzwords, linkedin, nicole williams, profiles, surveys
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