Skip to content
Saturday 29 August 2026London --:--Frankfurt --:--Zurich --:--
NewslettersSearchEN · DE · FR
MorningWire

European business, markets and politics

FTSE 100
10,824.26
+0.29%
DAX
26,569.99
+0.77%
CAC 40
8,401.18
+0.98%
STOXX 50
6,485.67
+0.95%
  • Europe
  • Markets
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Regulation
  • Politics
  • Opinion
More
GermanyFranceEU InstitutionsCompetitionPublic AffairsBankingTechnologyEnergy
  • Germany
  • France
  • Europe
  • Markets
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Regulation
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • DE
Wednesday 25 January 2017 7:22 am

These are the absolute worst buzzwords ruining your career

By: Lynsey Barber

Add as a preferred source on Google

Are you passionate? Experienced in leadership? It's time to stop telling everyone about it then.

These are just some of the 10 most over-used words you're describing your career with, according to LinkedIn, and that's no way to impress the hiring manager.

So it's time to banish these 10 buzzwords from your CV, profile, and maybe interviews too, just for good measure, if you want to stand out from the crowd.

Read more: These are the new buzzwords Goldman Sachs thinks we should all know

[poll id="66"]

Obviously, you can still be creative and enthusiastic, just take inspiration from the first rule of Fight Club.

"If you’re looking to grab someone’s attention, words which appear on hundreds of thousands of other profiles is not the way to do it," said Darain Faraz

“Historically, this is one of the busiest weeks in the year so far for members in the UK to spruce up their LinkedIn profiles, which means there’s some stiff competition to stand out.”

Read more: Watch this brilliant rap against the blight of buzzwords

Other tips offered include not talking about yourself in the third person (cc-ing Donald Trump) and showing rather than telling.

LinkedIn said last year's most-used word – motivated – has now fallen out of the top 10 completely, so there's hope for all of us passionate, focused and successful professionals yet then.

And to drill into you just how awful jargon, buzzwords and BS sounds, check out how cringeworthy these kinds of profiles sound when read out loud.

Share this article

  • Facebook
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email

Similarly tagged content:

Sections

  • Jobs and Money

Categories

  • Personal Development

Trending Articles

  • Pensioners to hand over bank statements in government benefits crackdown

  • Jamie Carragher: HMRC petitions for Sky Sports star to be declared bankrupt

  • Brewdog founder James Watt hits out at ‘total silence’ over new venture

  • Lloyds Bank and Halifax users unable to use app in latest outage

  • As it happened: FTSE 100 falls but Nasdaq soars after Nvidia sales boom

More from Morning Wire

  • Four mistakes founders are making with AI and the true cost of inertia

    Partner
    Panel discussion on Leveraging AI on Your Scaleup Journey at the SCALEEXPOSUMMIT event.
  • Hiscox finance chief: London’s AI adoption is too slow

    Opinion
    Paul Cooper, a man in a navy suit, gestures during a business meeting at a conference table.
  • Capgemini MD: London must keep reinventing itself

    Opinion
    Rob Walker of Capgemini presenting on stage, with a digital screen showing +10.5 growth behind him.
  • Luis Figo: ‘Deceitful and cravenly self-interested’ Infantino must quit Fifa now

    Sport Business
    Gianni Infantino and Luís Figo smiling, walking outdoors with security, on a wet day.
  • ILiAD Biotechnologies Expands Board of Directors and Appoints Chief Business Officer

    Business Wire
  • A tribute to wine legend Matthew Jukes by his friend Libby Brodie

    Life&Style
    Libby Brodie and Matthew Jukes raising a toast at a celebratory event, smiling and holding a glass, conveying joy and success
  • Improve technical education for women to plug engineer shortage

    Opinion
    Two engineers in hard hats and high-visibility gear inspecting a large, illuminated tunnel under construction.
  • I built my career on social media as a teen. I still think banning under-16s is right

    Opinion
    Smartphone screen displaying a folder of social media app icons including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and YouTube.
MorningWire

Independent European business, markets and political news for decision-makers.

Morning Briefing

Europe

  • Germany
  • France
  • EU Institutions
  • Europe

Business

  • Markets
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Regulation
  • Competition
  • Public Affairs

Editorial

  • Opinion
  • Editorial Policy
  • Corrections
  • Contact

Company

  • About Morning Wire
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy
© 2026 Morning Wire Ltd · Published by Morning Wire Media, Bahnhofstrasse 65, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
Privacy · Terms · Cookies · Facebook