You’re better than buzzwords

History’s heroes didn’t need them and neither do you

It’s a brand new year. The perfect time to start taking steps towards the career you want.

To help you stand out we’ve analyzed millions of LinkedIn profiles and unearthed the buzzwords to avoid this year.

Here are the the top 10 buzzwords for 2017:

1. Specialized2. Leadership3. Passionate4. Strategic5. Experienced

6. Focused7. Expert8. Certified9. Creative10. Excellent

Cleopatra is a tenacious leader who remains agile in high-pressure environments

These words don’t do you justice. Even history’s heroes sound bland when using buzzwords.

William Shakespeare is a creative forward-thinker with excellent written communication skills

You deserve to stand out from more than 1 million other people who also describe themselves as excellent when it comes to their work.

Leonardo Da Vinci is a detail-oriented self-starter with experience in drawing

You’re better than buzzwords.

We worked with someone who knows how to tell other people’s stories – best-selling biographer Christopher Sandford shares his advice on describing yourself and your accomplishments without sounding like everyone else. Here are his top tips...

1. Mind your languageYour profile summary is one of the first things people look at, so it’s important to get it right. You want the reader to want to know more about you, so start with something punchy.

You can do this through specific phrases, storytelling or even clever use of punctuation. Don’t be afraid to lead with a short sentence, such as ‘Music is my first love.’

Above all, you should always keep your reader, or customer, firmly in mind.

LinkedIn data shows you only have five to ten seconds to impress a

potential employer online.

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2. Be directIt’s often tempting to speak in the third person when it comes to our working lives – don’t! It’s impersonal and won’t draw the reader in.

Take a professional tone and be assertive and direct when you’re talking about your achievements, don’t hide behind buzzwords or jargon. At the same time, don’t shy away from adding some personality to your language – this is a great way to show your character.

3. Make the most of your experienceList out all your relevant previous roles and describe the work you did there in everyday language.

This will help people understand the breadth of your ‘work story’ – a complete profile reflects a well-rounded person.

LinkedIn profiles are 12x more likely to be

viewed if they list at least one previous role.

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4. Show, don’t just tellWhile language is important, so is showing real examples of your work. Instead of using buzzwords like ‘strategic’, prove it by uploading presentations or projects that bring this to life.

These are individual to you and help paint the picture of your special skills and unique background – whether that’s an image from a launch of a big campaign or the blog you write in your spare time.

Queen Victoria is a reliable monarch with a proven track record in governing empires

Banish the buzzwords.

Update your profile now