7 Phrases to Delete from Your LinkedIn Profile
Laura Smith-Proulx
An interesting practice seems to have cropped up among self-written social media profiles, where phrases taboo on resumes like, “Self-motivated team player,” are creeping back into lists of job hunter credentials on LinkedIn.
Unfortunately, these mundane, dry, and redundant phrases can make it difficult for you to maximize the power of LinkedIn in a job search. It’s also challenging for recruiters and employers to see past these overused terms when looking for your value proposition!However, with a little ingenuity, you can pull the lackluster phrases out of your Profile and replace them with powerful writing that conveys your personal style and energy.
Here are some of the worst offenders lurking among LinkedIn Profiles, along with suggestions for alternative wording:
1. Accomplished professional
If this is really true, then show (don’t tell!) your readers about it. This phrase is likely to prompt more annoyance from employers than appreciation.
Instead, consider using a sentence or phrase that speaks specifically to your achievements, such as, “Sales rep honored for closing 147% of quota during 2009 and 2010,” or, “IT Director heading multimillion-dollar outsourcing contracts at major banks.”
In addition, you can add accomplishment data (right in the Summary) that cuts to the heart of what you do and why you’re good at it, with sentences like, “Sales manager honored for coaching 3 Top Producers,” or, “Operations manager promoted for increasing production line efficiency.”
2. Results-driven
Most companies plan on hiring someone who fits this description, and they weed out anyone who doesn’t perform to their expectations. It’s almost to your detriment to point this out in your Profile.
You might try adding information that actually PROVES your drive for results, with mention of how you’ve earned a promotion in just six months, or the ways in which your performance has outpaced that of your peers.
3. Exceptional communicator
The trouble with this phrase is that it’s not only tough to prove, but that the person using it often misspells one or more words (really).
Since your LinkedIn Profile gives you plenty of opportunity to demonstrate your writing skills, you’ll have the opportunity to convey complex concepts or perhaps distill a major project into a short description…both of which would speak louder about your communications skills than this phrase ever will.
4. Proven success
Well, employers would hope so. After all, why mention your success unless you have some proof to back it up?
Here’s where you’re better off noting some metrics, as in, “Exceeded quota for 7 out of past 8 years,” “Brought company to 87% market share,” or, “Met 100% of project budget constraints despite limited resources.”
These achievements can help online readers understand the scope of your work and the reasons behind your career progression.
5. Experienced
Ahem…of COURSE you are.
Even worse, “Successful experience,” is so redundant you’re wasting space and LinkedIn keyword optimization by even thinking of these phrases.
One way to replace this word is to simply specify the number of years you’ve worked in the industry.
However, be careful here, “15 years of experience in sales,” doesn’t quite have the same ring as, “Generated 23% average over-quota revenue throughout progressively challenging sales roles.”
6. Responsible for
Just like a resume, there is no reason to clutter the landscape of your Profile with a phrase that is largely assumed.
Rather than use this phrase, you can just skip to the relevant facts, “Managed $500K budget,” “Supervised staff of 10,” and save everyone’s time.
7. Microsoft Word skills
There’s no advantage to listing basic skills that nearly all candidates possess. Unless you are seeking an entry-level role requiring clerical duties, employers will be more surprised if you don’t have these skills, than if you take the time to list them.
You’re much better off researching target jobs and noting the skills (keywords) required for the position, then using these terms to show your competency.
To summarize, back up and take a long look at your LinkedIn Profile. Are you committing the same mistakes that have been appearing on resumes for years?
If so, it’s time to refresh your approach and provide specific details on the high points of your career—information others can readily relate to (and even use to hire you) from your LinkedIn Profile.
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