Top 10 business buzzwords on LinkedIn

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Brits are being urged to choose their words wisely in 2017 if they want to get ahead in the careers race.

As thousands of us rush to update our CVs and profiles, LinkedIn has revealed the nation’s most popular words, which those looking to get noticed should avoid. The list, which shows the ten worst offenders from the past twelve months, has been revealed during what is historically the busiest week in January for UK profile updates.

‘Buzzwords’ is an annual list drawn from analysis of LinkedIn’s global membership, including its more than 21 million UK members. At number one on the list, and making an appearance in nearly half a million profiles across the UK, is “specialised”, followed by “leadership” and “experienced” respectively. The top five is completed by “passionate” and “strategic”, with last year’s most overused word, “motivated” dropping entirely from the list.
The top ten UK buzzwords for 2017 are:

Specialised
Leadership
Experienced
Passionate
Strategic
Excellent
Focused
Creative
Enthusiastic
Successful

LinkedIn’s Darain Faraz commented, “Don’t sell yourself short this year. Whatever your career goal, whether it’s getting a new job, building a better network or taking a step up the career ladder, make sure you stand out for the right reasons. If you’re looking to grab someone’s attention, words which appear on hundreds of thousands of other profiles is not the way to do it.

“Historically, this is one of the busiest weeks in the year so far for members in the UK to spruce up their LinkedIn profiles, which means there’s some stiff competition to stand out.”

Sandford commented, “The language we use says a lot about us so it’s important to choose your words carefully, especially in a professional context. 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.”

Author, Christopher Sandford has provided his advice for those looking to improve their LinkedIn profile this year:

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.

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.

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.