Open LinkedIn. Pick a random profile. Odds are you’ll find a summary that starts like this:
“I’m a strategic, motivated, results-oriented finance professional with a proven track record…”
These words sound good, don’t they? Confident. Professional. Positive.
And they might’ve been fine on a CV 10 years ago. But here’s the problem…
Now, they’re everywhere.
They’re so overused that they’ve lost all meaning.
Here are just a few of the usual suspects I see (and quietly grimace at) every single day:
- Strategic
- Creative
- Motivated
- Effective
- Focused
- Expert
- Team player
- Proven track record
- Passionate
- Skilled
The issue isn’t that these words are wrong. You might be all of these things. But if you’re not backing them up with specifics, they just come across as empty.
Your LinkedIn profile should show me what you’ve actually done.
For instance, have you…
- Implemented a TMS across three regions? Brilliant. Say that!
- Cut FX risk by $500k? Even better.
- Led a remote team through a post-acquisition treasury restructure? Amazing!
And this applies to your CV too…
People send me them all the time that are stuffed with buzzwords and have zero substance behind them. Not a single real-world example.
But it’s not enough to say you’re effective. I want to know how you’re effective.
Now, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: one practical way to get better at this is to track your achievements.
Spend just five minutes a week jotting down what you’ve delivered, fixed, improved, or led recently. You’ll thank yourself when it’s time to ask for a raise, update your CV, or prove your value to a hiring manager.
Because at the end of the day, hiring managers with 100+ CVs on their desk don’t shortlist people for being “motivated”…
They shortlist the ones who can show they’ve had a clear, positive impact.
So the next time you’re tempted to write “passionate about treasury” tell us WHY.
Or better yet, say what you’ve done.
Best regards,
Mike
P.S. Be honest… do any OR maybe all of these words appear on your LinkedIn profile or CV???