They’ve been used so often that they’ve lost all meaning.
Using them on your profile/CV will only tell a prospective employer that you’re run-of-the-mill. New data released by LinkedIn has revealed the top 10 most overused words on LinkedIn profiles in the past twelve months for the UAE, compiled from analysis of millions of UAE profiles.
Posting regular content, making your headline stand out, ensuring you have a professional photo uploaded and keeping work history relevant and succinct are all useful tips to improve your profile.
Here are the top ten LinkedIn profile keywords to avoid for 2017:
- Leadership
- Specialized
- Expert
- Excellent
- Strategic
- Experienced
- Responsible
- Passionate
- Certified
- Dynamic
Instead of relying on empty terminology, use concrete terms to describe your skills…instead of saying you excel at leadership, say you successfully manage a team of 20, for example,
says Nada Enan, Senior Manager Marketing & PR, LinkedIn MENA.
LinkedIn has partnered with author Christopher Sandford, a bestselling biographer who is well accustomed to articulating others’ achievements. Sandford commented,
“Too often we hide behind buzzwords which don’t mean anything, whether out of a desire to keep things simple, or because we don’t feel confident talking about our work accomplishments. With some relatively simple changes you can start to use language which truly conveys what makes you great.”
Sandford shares his advice for those looking to improve their LinkedIn profile this year:
1. Mind your language
Your 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.
2. Be direct
It’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 experience
List out all your relevant previous roles and describe what you did in everyday language. This will help people understand the breadth of your ‘work story’ – a complete profile reflects a well-rounded person.
4. Show, don’t just tell
While 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.
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