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Are you guilty? Australia's most overused words on LinkedIn profiles
Thu, 2nd Feb 2017
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Australia's most overused words on LinkedIn profiles have just been revealed, one of which didn't make the top 10 last year, but is now number one.

The buzz word "specialised" has been used the most out of all on Aussie profiles, but ironically people are avoiding pointing out what it is they're actually specialised in.

"Passionate" and "strategic" also top the list, which according to LinkedIn, people are using in an attempt to highlight their expertise – not realising that they are actually diluting their professional brand.

The "buzzwords" were drawn from analysis of millions of profiles to compile the ten worst offenders from the past 12 months.

Australia's most overused word  “Specialised” replaces “Leadership” which topped the 2016 list.

“Passionate” has moved up one place to become the third most overused buzzword worldwide.

Christopher Sandford, Award winning author and best selling biographer who is well accustomed to articulating others' achievements has a few tips on how professionals can stand.

Sandford says to make sure your words count, be direct, showcase your experience and always ensure you show - don't just tell.

The top ten buzzwords for 2017 in Australia are:

  1. Specialised
  2. Leadership
  3. Passionate
  4. Experienced
  5. Strategic
  6. Focused
  7. Expert
  8. Creative
  9. Successful
  10. Excellent

Shiva Kumar, head of Communications Australia - New Zealand at LinkedIn, says LinkedIn data shows you only have five to ten seconds to impress a potential employer online, so it's important to stand out from the rest of crowd.

“Using the right words and substantiating them with real examples of your work makes your profile more authentic.