It’s January, the month when hungry employment-seekers take on a post-holiday job hunt with a fresh sense of purpose. (Related fun fact: January 21 — i.e., today — is the most popular day of this month for LinkedIn members to update their profiles.) With millennials making up a sizable portion of America’s unemployed masses — last year, 9.1 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds was unemployed — it stands to reason that we are well represented among those looking for new opportunity come a new year. But, despite our winningest efforts, our attempts to stand out to prospective employers might be getting lost in a sea of candidates, because too many of us are using the same boring old descriptors to summarize ourselves and our expertise.
“If you’re motivated about your career, passionate about doing your best work, and are highly creative, then I’ve got news for you. So is everyone else,” notes Catherine Fisher, a LinkedIn career expert.