If you want a potential employer to know how creative you are, don’t use “creative” on your LinkedIn profile.

Don’t use “innovative” or “dynamic” either.

Those adjectives are so popular on online job seekers’ profiles that they do little to distinguish you from other candidates. In fact, “creative” was the No. 1 overused buzzword on LinkedIn this year, the professional networking site announced today.

To identify trite words that professionals use to describe themselves, LinkedIn analyzed the profiles of its 135 million members. In addition to “creative,” “motivated,” and “dynamic,” “problem solving” is another overused phrase, as is “extensive experience” and “track record.” Ironically, these descriptors are so overused that they directly contradict the supposed creativity of a candidate. Continue Reading →

1. “I’m a Team-Player.”
This is one of the most over-used cliches, so try to find a way you can show that you are this team player. Did you collaborate with someone or with a department to meet an objective? Put that on your resume instead of a vague, cliched expression. Be detailed about your achievement. Continue Reading →