Helping people avoid the most common turn-offs in a profile, LinkedIn recently announced the top 10 overused buzzwords and phrases by Indian professionals in their LinkedIn profiles.
Finding the right opportunity isn’t easy, but it’s even more complicated to be able to get spotted conveniently by the recruiters online. This is because one has to outshine the numerous other candidates,who have put in equal efforts to display an attractive profile on a social professional network, such as LinkedIn. Helping people avoid the most common turn-offs in a profile, LinkedIn recently announced the top 10 overused buzzwords and phrases found in the LinkedIn profiles of Indian professionals.
Running for the sixth year in a row, the campaign encourages professionals to sharpen their LinkedIn profiles using language that is simple yet effective in describing their professional journey.
This time, LinkedIn analysed the profile summaries of 39 million members in India and compiled the Buzzwords 2017 list.
‘Specialised’, a new addition to the top 10 list, is this year’s most overused buzzword both globally and in India.
‘Leadership’ has moved up two notches from last year, while ‘passionate’ which was in the top three in 2016 closes the top five list for 2017.
Some new additions to the list include ‘certified’ and ‘excellent’.
The most overused buzzword in 2016, ‘organisation’, is off the charts this year.
Helping professionals build a stronger online presence that can get them closer to their dream jobs, LinkedIn partnered with author Christopher Sandford this year. Sandford, a bestselling biographer, who is well accustomed with articulating others’ achievements, has provided his advice for those looking to improve their LinkedIn profiles in 2017:
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 be eager 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. Be assertive and direct, while talking about 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.