Building a buzzword block

I’ve recently spent a bit of time checking out potential recruits on LinkedIn and I’ve got to say I am not surprised at the latest list of over-used buzzwords released by LinkedIn.

The list takes a gentle shot at the way we see ourselves and shows that most of Australia’s workforce considers themselves to be “creative”, “effective” and have “extensive experience”.

Actually, I think “creative” is pretty accurate. We might not all be creative in the workplace, but we’re certainly creative in terms of making ourselves sound better than we might be.

Just take a look at the top 10 buzzwords of Australian LinkedIn users:

1. Creative
2. Extensive experience
3. Effective
4. Track record
5. Motivated
6. Innovative
7. Communication skills
8. Wide range
9. Problem solving
10. Dynamic

What a list – all words that let you say something without actually saying anything.

For me, there are two clear lessons out of a list like this.

The first is to ask yourself whether you are guilty of using any of the biggest weasel words on the list, which I would say include “creative”, “effective”, “innovative”, “motivated” and “dynamic”.

Do you drop them into conversation? Are they part of your vision or mission statement? Do they appear on any of your marketing collateral?

I’m willing to bet words like “innovative” and “dynamic” might have crept into some of your websites or marketing materials, so you need to stop and think about what you actually mean when you use them.

By “innovative”, do you mean you have a history of releasing new products and services? Then say that!

If you really want to be “effective” you could even provide a few examples if you really wanted to ram the message home. I guarantee that you’ll convince more potential customers of your skills in the area of innovation with real concrete examples than you will by just throwing buzzwords around.

Indeed, the best way at seeing through buzzwords and jargon is to ask for examples.

I know you are a problem solver, but give me an example of a problem you have solved. I gather from your resume that you are dynamic, but what does that mean in a practical sense? I understand you’ve got a track record – care to lay that out?

One interesting little titbit from LinkedIn is that people who have more than one job listed on their profile are 12 times more likely to get an interview than those that don’t. The lesson? Evidence matters.

So employers can do their bit to help stem the buzzword tide. Never let an employee or potential employee use a word like “creative” or “dynamic” without a full explanation and some real examples.

If we all do that, we’ll truly be able to claim we have a track record that demonstrates effective communication skills and a wide-ranging, innovative and very creative approach to problem solving.

Or something like that.