As the largest social network for career networking, LinkedIn has access to a great wealth of data about how professionals want to be perceived. Though the word “creative” has consistently popped up on the site’s yearly top 10 overused buzzwords list, the terms LinkedIn members use to describe themselves seem anything but.
This year’s top 10 overused LinkedIn buzzwords are no exception, though the new list does show that professionals now believe responsibility is a top trait.
“Responsible” is this year’s most overused buzzword after entering the top 10 on last year’s list. “Creative,” which had held the top spot for two years in a row, has been knocked down to third place just behind “strategic.” Filling out the top 10 are “effective,” “patient,” “expert,” “organizational,” “driven,” “innovative,” and “analytical.”
Not only is “Responsible” the most overused buzzword of the year, but it also tops the list of overused buzzwords for every English-speaking country surveyed by LinkedIn. “Strategic” also makes it into the top three for each country. This represents a shift toward a more practical personality-based skillset, rather than attempts to wow companies with claims of creativity or past success. U.S. profiles in particular account for an inordinate number of the uses of “patient” – a word that will likely gain popularity in the coming year if the growth of “responsible” is anything to go by.
Whether or not employers really do want employees who can patiently craft creative, effective, and responsible strategies, LinkedIn suggests that prospective hires get a bit more creative with their profiles. If nothing else, a glimpse at a thesaurus could help them stand out enough for employers to give their profile a second look.