LinkedIn, the popular employment network and social network hybrid, released a top ten list of the most overused buzzwords and buzzphrases across their United States members’ profiles as of 2010:
- Extensive experience
- Innovative
- Motivated
- Results-oriented
- Dynamic
- Proven track record
- Team player
- Fast-paced
- Problem solver
- Entrepreneurial
The LinkedIn ministudy also broke down the buzzwords by region, discovering that profiles from US, Canada and Australia focus on their “extensive experience,” whereas profiles from Brazil, Spain, and India identify themselves more as “dynamic.” UK profiles focus more on their motivation, and French, German, Italian and Dutch profiles focus more on their innovative qualities.
The problem with overusing these buzzwords and phrases, of course, is that these are all qualities employers look for in potential employees, so they somewhat need to be included; but hey, if employers accepted glitter-decorated resumes as a way for job applicants to differentiate from the crowd, then at least the overused buzzwords wouldn’t seem so redundant.
(LinkedIn via Business Wire)
