Standing out amongst other job seekers is an often difficult task – the problem is you may not know how difficult it is! How often do you get to sift through competing resumes? How often do you get to go in the ring against your ‘competitor’?
A data scientist over at LinkedIn sifted through ‘some’ of their data to see how people describe themselves in 2012. A set number of overused words have been found describing individuals. Because of their overuse they have simply become buzzwords- awesome to say, but filtered out by the listener or reader.
I am going to use all of the buzzwords in the next paragraph in the order of their popularity, just so you can see what I mean:
I am a Creative individual that is happy to stay Organized- in fact I find staying organized to be an Effective way to keep me Motivated. My Extensive Experience in blogging, reflected by my Track Record at AkronOhioMoms.com proves my Innovative and Responsible approach to work life. Because of the work I do, others describe me as very Analytical and a great Problem Solver.
Overused BuzzWords as Published by LinkedIn
So what are you to do? If you are Creative, how do you relate that to your reader?
Replace Buzzwords in your Resume or on your Social Profile with These
Descriptions of past actions
Don’t let the words dangle out there- prove it in a sentence.
Replace creative with “I designed our corporate brochures with colors from Adobe palettes and stock images from gettys.”
or
“Ask me how I provided the thought inspiration for my company to redesign the shop floor, and paid for my own salary.
This kind of example can get long, and dangerous- so be sure it’s a GOOD story. If you can’t think of one- then maybe you shouldnt be using that buzzword anyway!!
Thesaurus replacements
Go wild and catch your next boss’s attention! Of course, use all of these incontext with what skill you are touting!
- Replace Creative with: Imaginitive, Ingenious or Original
- Replace Organizational with: Decisive, Executive, Authoritative
- Replace Motivated with: Inspired, Animated, Galvanized, or “I GOTTA FEED MY FAMILY!”
- Replace Extensive Experience with: Long time industry stalwart, Cultivated, Tested, or Veteran
- Replace Track Record with: Credentials, Performance, or work in the word Almanac – original, don’t forget!
- Replace Innovative with: Avante-Garde, Cutting Edge, Newfangled, even Pioneering
- Replace Responsible with: At The Helm, Liable, Sworn To, simply Talented, or Skillful this one takes creativity!
- Replace Analytical with: Intellectual, Scholarly, Solid, Penetrating, or Systematic
- Replace Problem Solving with: Precise, Thorough, and Well Grounded
I hope this helps you and your search- if its been helpful, please comment below!
