The 10 Most Overused Words in LinkedIn Profiles was published recently.

When I saw the list, I thought I had used them all. But alas, I only used one out of ten. So I re-read my profile and it seemed…I don’t know, stuffy, corporate. Maybe I need to re-write it.

The problem here is that we have a generally accepted lexicon that explains what we do, to others who are in our line of business. So what do we do to differentiate ourselves? Well the author tells us we should list our accomplishments. However that can bloat a profile from buzzwords into a full-blown resume – long version. No one wants to (or will) pore over my accomplishments…whatever. So we use those handy words that everyone uses and we all sound the same – sort of.

So in an effort to remove buzzwords/jargon/corporate-speak – and not fire-up the thesaurus – I decided to rewrite my bio in the most basic un-buzzed-worded-way I could. And without writing the story of my life.

Here goes:

I have been in advertising and marketing for 35 years
I know how to spot things that are going wrong and tell people how to fix them
I know how to keep people from killing each other at work
I know how to budget, schedule, defend quality, and make people do their jobs
I also know how to draw and design
I know how to use software
I have worked for large and small companies
I am worth the money you will pay me

Now tell me, would a client, human resources professional, or hiring manager even consider hiring me? I think we're stuck with buzzwords.