Nicole Williams, LinkedIn: 2011 Most overused professional buzzwords are “creative,” “organizational” and “effective”

Nicole Williams, LinkedIn: 2011 Most overused professional buzzwords are “creative,” “organizational” and “effective”

December 20, 2011

The most overused words and phrases in members’ LinkedIn Profiles for 2011 have been released. The number one most overused buzzword in LinkedIn Profiles globally and for professionals based in the United States is “creative.” Here is LinkedIn’s 2011 list of the top 10 terms that are overused by professionals in the United States:

1. Creative
2. Organizational
3. Effective
4. Extensive experience
5. Track record
6. Motivated
7. Innovative
8. Problem solving
9. Communication skills
10. Dynamic

“Competition for opportunities can be fierce, so craft your LinkedIn Profile and resume to stand out from the professional pack,” said Nicole Williams, LinkedIn’s Connection Director and best-selling author of the book, “Girl on Top.” “Even though this year’s list of overused terms differs from last year’s, your objectives remain the same: Banish buzzwords from your profile. Use language that illustrates your unique professional accomplishments and experiences. Give concrete examples of results you’ve achieved whenever possible and reference attributes that are specific to you.”

In LinkedIn’s 2010 study, buzzwords like “extensive experience,” “dynamic,” “motivated,” and “innovative” ranked as the most overused buzzwords in various countries. Since LinkedIn’s global membership has grown from 85 million to more than 135 million members since the 2010 buzzwords analysis, that list has changed. Here are the 2011 number one buzzwords for countries that LinkedIn fielded the study in:

Creative: Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States

Multinational: Brazil

Dynamic: France

Effective: India

Problem solving: Italy

Motivated: Ireland

Managerial: Spain

Track record: Singapore

“As business winds down for the holidays, snag a few minutes to add some sparkle to your LinkedIn Profile and resume,” added Williams. “Make sure you’re putting your best foot forward to tackle your professional resolutions.”

Here are some tips professionals can act on over the holidays to increase the number of people viewing their LinkedIn Profile:

Showcase your skills
LinkedIn tracks thousands of hot, up-and-coming professional skills on LinkedIn Skills. Add relevant LinkedIn Skills to your profile so that you come up in search results when other professionals need someone like you for a project, to get advice or for an open position that they have.

Come highly recommended
Recommendations on LinkedIn spread virally, and give those viewing your profile a sense of who you are as a professional. Request LinkedIn Recommendations from past managers and clients, and be sure to hint at why you're asking for the recommendation (to get more clients, to find a new job, etc.) as well as the types of things the recommender can comment on. ("Brad, I'd really appreciate it if you could give me a recommendation regarding the ABC project that I worked on that resulted in us increasing sales by 120 percent.")

Accentuate your profile
Make sure your LinkedIn Profile is complete and includes all the roles you have had. You are 12 times more likely to be viewed for potential opportunities if you have more than one position listed on your profile. Also, add a profile photo – people never forget a face.