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Positive Buzzwords for Personal Statement With Results

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Are you overwhelmed by the personal statement process? Are you trying to figure out where to start? If so, then look no further!

This blog post will discuss some of the most common buzzwords for personal statements that can help give your application an edge. Whether you’re applying for college or a job position, these words will make your statement stand out. It will show recruiters why you’re the perfect fit.

Keep reading to discover the top buzzwords for personal statement !

What Is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is an opportunity to make a lasting impression on employers, admissions counselors, and other decision-makers . It’s your chance to showcase what makes you unique and explain why you’re the ideal candidate for their job or program.

A well-crafted personal statement should integrate information about yourself to paint a complete picture of who you are.

What to Include in a Personal Statement

When writing, it’s important to remember the qualities employers and admissions counselors are looking for. This includes your interests, skills, experiences, and qualifications.

Additionally, you should include a few buzzwords throughout your statement to help it stand out from other applicants.

Importance of Buzzwords for Personal Statements

Using the right buzzwords for personal statement can be a powerful way to make an impact on employers and admissions counselors. These words will help draw attention to your statement and show that you understand the real-world experience employers are looking for.

Additionally, they demonstrate how well you know yourself and how prepared you are to handle any challenges that may arise during the application process. By carefully selecting which buzzwords to include, you can create a statement that is convincing, memorable, and different from other applicants.

Types of Buzzwords With Examples

When selecting the right buzzwords for your statement, several types of words are commonly used. These include:

Innovative/Innovator

Showing that you always seek unique or creative solutions to problems. Example: “I have a knack for developing innovative solutions to complex problems”

Self-Motivated/Self-Starter

Demonstrating that you take the initiative and don’t need external motivation. Example: “I am a self-starter with a proven track record of success”

Flexible/Adaptable

Showing you can adjust quickly and easily in any situation. Example: “I’m an adaptable and resilient individual who can easily adjust to any situation”

Results-Oriented/Achiever

Demonstrating that you can set and achieve goals efficiently. Example: “I’m a results-oriented achiever who always strives for excellence”

Examples of Best Buzzwords to Try

1. Innovative

2. Self-motivated

3. Adaptable

4. Results-oriented

6. Passionate

7. Reliable

8. Proactive

10. Solution-focused

11. Strategic thinker

12. Creative problem solver

13. Organized

14 Analytical

17 Resourceful

18 Professional

19 Team players

20 Confident

Words to Avoid in Your Personal Statement

1. Overly Tailored Language

The fluffy-bunny-love-letter-way of communicating is best saved for the first date. This means avoiding words like “terrific” and “good” in your personal statement .

For example, “terrific” sounds unprofessional, and “good” serves to diminish your accomplishment, moving the focus away from your accomplishments. Instead, use the strong, yet humble vocabulary of “excellent,” or “amazing”.

2. “Like” or “like-Minded” Words in Personal Statement Writing.

Most people like to use the word “like” or “like-minded”, in their re-telling of a story. However, this word can be very overused, leading to a shallow, uninspiring story.

3. Use of Images in Personal Statement

In a lot of personal statement, applicants use images of their achievements, often pictures or pictures of them or their family.

How to Write Buzzwords for Personal Statement

• Firstly, decide what your personal statement is about. What kind of words are you going to use in the short-term and long-term? Are the words going to hit home with the readers?
• Secondly, brainstorm a list of possible buzzwords that you want to incorporate in your personal statement.
• Thirdly, sit down and brainstorm the following questions. 1. What are you going to present to the reader? 2. What are the readers responses going to look like? 3. What personal qualities do you want to show to the readers?
• Finally, decide on a list of buzzwords that you want to use. Next, you will write your personal statement.

When writing your statement, selecting the right buzzwords to help it stand out from other applicants is essential.

By carefully choosing which words to use and ensuring they accurately reflect your skills and experiences, you can create a memorable and convincing statement. Hopefully, this blog post has provided insight into the most common buzzwords used.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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144 resume buzzwords that will help you get the interview (2024)

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What are resume buzzwords?

Resume clichés vs. resume buzzwords , 144 good resume buzzword examples in 2024, 10 tips that go beyond adding some buzzwords, 20 resume buzzwords to avoid, attract the right job prospects with betterup.

The language you use in a resume matters. Your resume might be a short, concise document, but with the correct descriptors, you can get a hiring manager or recruiter excited enough to want to meet you and discuss the role in person. This is where resume buzzwords come in.

Buzzwords used on your resume should be specific enough to highlight your unique skills and descriptive enough to help you stand out to potential employers. Use this list of 170 buzzwords to add specifics about your talents and experience to your resume.   

Resume buzzwords are specific, powerful words or phrases used on resumes to catch the attention of hiring managers and applicant tracking systems. These terms often reflect the latest trends in industry language, emphasizing in-demand skills , achievements, and experience that are currently sought after.

Buzzwords can vary significantly across different professions and change as the job market evolves. For instance, words like “synergy” and “thinking outside the box” have given way to power words like “data-driven” and “user experience.” 

Avoiding overused terms or phrases can help keep your resume fresh. Words like “hard worker,” “team player,” or “go-getter” are dated and lack impact. In the end, they don’t truly say anything specific about you.

On the other hand, resume buzzwords highlight your resume skills and work experience and are tailored to match job descriptions. They also show an understanding of the field’s language, helping your resume stand out to recruiters who often use automated systems to screen applications. 

Adding new language to your resume can bring it up to date. These fresh phrases will help bring out the best of your professional qualities. Choose a category to find the best words to suit your needs, or use the list for inspiration.

Resume buzzwords for leadership and management

Leadership buzzwords should convey your ability to guide, inspire, and drive teams toward achieving collective goals. They should reflect your strategic thinking, decision-making prowess, emotional intelligence, and ability to innovate and adapt.

• Strategic 
• Team building
• Change management  
• Change agent
• Project management
• Efficiency 
• Risk management 
• Mentoring 
• Cross-functional 
• Talent development 
• Roadmap planning 
• Executive communications

Resume buzzwords for showing strategy and planning skills

Strategy and planning buzzwords should showcase foresight, analytical skills, and management styles . They convey an individual’s proficiency in mapping out visions, setting achievable goals, and devising effective plans to navigate the complexities of business landscapes. 

• Strategic planning
• Analytical thinking
• Forecasting
• Market analysis
• Competitive analysis
• Goal-setting
• Scenario planning
• Business modeling
• SWOT analysis
• Risk assessment
• Performance
• Benchmarking
• Financial modeling
• Optimization
• Capacity planning
• Contingency planning

Resume buzzwords for demonstrating achievement

Achievement-focused buzzwords should convey tangible outcomes and efficiency gains. Demonstrate your achievements through leadership impact, innovation contributions, revenue growth, cost reduction achievements, and successful project completions under challenging circumstances.

• Outperformed
• Accelerated
• Revolutionized
• Spearheaded
• Implemented
• Facilitated
• Streamlined

Resume buzzwords for showing off your skills

Skills-focused buzzwords should communicate proficiency, adaptability, creativity , and teamwork . They should highlight your technical skills, leadership qualities, and ability to innovate and collaborate effectively in diverse environments.

• Knowledgeable
• Collaborative
• Communicative

Resume buzzwords for collaboration

Collaboration-focused buzzwords should convey your ability to work effectively within teams. Emphasize leadership, empathy, active listening , and a commitment to achieving common goals through mutual respect and understanding.

• Team-oriented
• Interactive
• Cooperative
• Situational leader
• Interpersonal
• Integrative
• Coordinating
• Negotiating

Resume buzzwords for problem-solving

Problem-solving buzzwords should highlight your analytical skills, creativity, and initiative. They demonstrate your ability to identify issues, think critically, devise innovative solutions, and implement them effectively under pressure.

• Solution-focused
• Critical thinker
• Resourceful
• Decision-maker
• Troubleshooter
• Creative problem-solver
• Process thinker
• Forward-thinking

Resume buzzwords for process improvement

Process-improvement keywords should give the hiring agent clarity around your ability to enhance workflows and drive positive changes. They highlight your skills in optimizing operations to achieve better productivity and quality outcomes.

• Process engineer
• Cost reduction
• Value stream
• Best practices
• Standardization
• Kaizen  

Resume buzzwords for innovation and creativity

Creativity-focused buzzwords are useful to highlight many types of innovation , fresh thinking, and the ability to transform ideas into reality. They underscore a talent for thinking of unique solutions to challenges and fostering an environment of artistic expression.

• Creative thinking
• Design-focused
• Content creator
• Visual storytelling
• Inspiration
• Imagination
• Trendsetter
• Culture leader
• Campaign design

Resume buzzwords for research and data analysis

Research and data analysis buzzwords not only highlight technical proficiency but also demonstrate your capability to drive evidence-based decisions. They give the impression you can fuel growth and innovation in various sectors.

• Quantitative
• Statistical
• Research-focused
• Pattern-focused
• Strategic leader
• Predictive modeling
• Evidence-based 
• Advanced [tool] user
• Database architect
• Problem-solving

Resume buzzwords for business development and growth

Buzzwords that highlight business development skills should convey a commitment to progress. They should demonstrate your skills in scalability, adaptability, and vision. 

• Growth strategist
• Scalability
• Continuous improvement
• Work performance
• Transformation
• Business expansion
• Organizational thinker
• Development-driven
• Capacity-building

To use buzzwords most effectively, combine them with other elements of strong presentation and self-promotion. These can make ideas flow easier when you’re drafting or updating your professional skills or functional resume .

Tailor your resume to the job description: Scan the job listing for emphasized keywords and phrases, and incorporate these into your resume. This shows you’re qualified for the position and have the skills required to do the job. Even if you’re writing your first resume in anticipation of your expected graduation date , you can still personalize it with skills learned and practiced during your studies or internships.

Write in an active voice: Employ action words to make your accomplishments stand out. For example, instead of saying “Responsible for leading a team,” say “Led a team.” This conveys action and direct involvement in your achievements.

Incorporate quantifiable terms: Buzzwords are great, but you need numbers to back them up. Whenever possible, use numbers to quantify your personal achievements . For instance, “Increased sales by 20%” is more impactful than “Responsible for increasing sales.” It gives the reader a specific example of how your skills produce outcomes.

Use industry-relevant keywords: Use industry- or field-specific terms to showcase your familiarity with professional jargon, without overusing them. Leverage this tip wisely to ensure that the terminology you use is accessible to the HR rep, hiring manager, recruiter, or reviewer.

Use bullet points and skimmable content: A job posting can get hundreds of job applications. Only a few may get a job interview for each new job, and the selection process is often based on time crunches. If you’re writing a chronological resume , use bullet points for easy reading.

Avoid overused or fad phrases: Steer clear of vague and overused phrases, even if they appeared on previous versions of your resume. Instead, show how you embody these qualities through specific quantifiable examples. Show your personality where you can, but always lead with professionalism.

Show off your different skill areas to demonstrate your range: Employers look for a combination of hard skills and soft skills in candidates. Don’t be afraid to show off a wide skill set as far back as your resume goes . Here are some specific examples you can use for inspiration:

• Office skills
• Human resources skills
• Marketing skills
• Professional leadership skills

Highlight soft skills strategically: While it’s important to showcase technical skills, incorporating key soft skills (like leadership or communication skills ) and other transferable skills can differentiate you from other job candidates. Choose the right buzzwords that align with the job description and company culture .

Focus on results-oriented language: Emphasize the outcomes of your work using action verbs that highlight your impact on previous projects or roles (such as “transformed” or “revitalized”). Be sure to share the honors and awards you’ve earned throughout your career.

Optimize for applicant tracking systems: Many companies use applicant tracking software (ATS) to screen the best resume options before they reach human eyes. Ensure your resume contains keywords from the job description, as some systems rank based on keyword matches. 

Another important consideration is that hiring managers and recruiters often search for candidates beyond the resume. They may also search for candidate social media profiles through their LinkedIn summary or profile, website portfolios , or CVs. Roughly 70% of hiring managers report having success when hiring using social media . Use relevant job search terms to your advantage when crafting a resume. 

Hiring managers see hundreds of resumes, so there are always some resume dos and don’ts . Repetitive buzzwords fail to differentiate one candidate from another. Moreover, they may suggest a lack of tangible experience without concrete examples. Avoid using these resume buzzwords to ensure your resume resonates with authenticity: 

• Results-driven
• People person
• Team player
• Growth hacker
• Think outside the box
• Hard worker
• Detail-oriented
• Experienced
• Specialized
• Best of breed

Aim for clarity and precision to give hiring managers a favorable view of your abilities. Focus on specific achievements and examples of your resume skills using action verbs to help your resume stand out. 

While you want to hit the right notes, buzzwords won’t make up for the substance of your resume. The best strategy is to showcase yourself with quantifiable data, detailing how you achieve results. Share specific accomplishments and moments where your skills have made a difference. 

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Chris Helvajian

Chris Helvajian is a talent acquisition leader with more than a decade of experience in talent acquisition. He's passionate about creating scalable solutions to resolve recruiting problems at their root. His golden thread is "connecting people to opportunity." Chris is currently a recruiter at BetterUp and received his MBA at Chapman University.

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Top 99+ Resume Buzzwords to Use in 2024 [& Clichés to Avoid]

By Kervin Peterson

13 min read

Resume buzzwords are an essential part of resume writing—a balancing act where you’re constantly juggling various details while trying to make a compelling case about what makes you the best person for the job.

To make all the information about your skills and experiences stand out, you want to leverage these buzzwords and, well, generate buzz with your document.

In this article, we’ll explore the complexities of resume buzzwords, explain why it’s important to use them, and show you what some of the best ones are. Additionally, you’ll find out how not to fall into the trap of sounding cliché . Let’s dive in!

Key Takeaways

The purpose of buzzwords is multifold: they can help your resume pass the screening process, highlight your knowledge, expertise, and experience, and more.

Resume buzzwords should make your CV memorable, so they differ from resume clichés, which should be avoided.

Specific resume buzzwords can emphasize a broad array of skills, from leadership to communication and language proficiency.

These buzzwords can be included in different sections of your resume, such as education and professional experience.

Choosing the resume buzzwords according to the job you’re applying for is important because it helps you accentuate the specific skills the hiring company is looking for.

What Are Resume Buzzwords?

Resume buzzwords are strategic terms and phrases you can use to significantly increase the impact your writing has on recruiters and hiring managers . They are designed to capture the reader’s attention and make your resume more memorable.

Buzzwords can take many shapes in your resume . They can help you pass the ATS scan as keywords, take the form of action verbs to emphasize your accomplishments, help you highlight industry knowledge through specific terminology, and more.

By using them, you’re transforming your resume into a personal marketing tool. That way, it will optimally convey all the relevant information about skills and qualifications while simultaneously leaving a lasting good impression on recruiters.

Resume Buzzwords vs. Resume Clichés

There is a significant difference between resume buzzwords and clichés. While the former improves your writing and makes it more impressive, the latter has the opposite effect .

Resume clichés are overused terms that recruiters are tired of , and incorporating them into your document can be detrimental to your success.

Some of the most notable examples of resume clichés include:

Examples of Resume Clichés

Hard worker

Team player

People person

Problem solver

Quick learner

All of these are bland statements, and you’re better off providing specific examples of your actions than merely stating that you’re a “hard worker.”

Why is It Important to Use Resume Buzzwords?

Resume buzzwords help you stand out in the crowd of other candidates . However, their benefits extend beyond their attention-grabbing aspect.

Some of the key reasons why you should use resume buzzwords are because they:

Key Reasons To Use Resume Buzzwords

Act as keywords. Using the buzzwords relevant to the job that you’re applying for can help you pass the ATS scan since they act as keywords for the software.

Emphasize accomplishments. Action verbs are powerful terms that help point out your results and efforts in a compelling manner.

Highlight expertise. Having industry-specific resume buzzwords signals that you’re an adept professional who knows what they are talking about.

Showcase skills. Using the right buzzwords can help you demonstrate your skills and accomplishments.

99+ Top-Notch Resume Buzzwords to Use

To avoid sounding cliché, you need to know exactly what resume buzzwords to use. Additionally, you don’t want them to sound vague but be a reinforcement of your experience and expertise.

Lastly, but most importantly, the right buzzwords will help your resume pass the screening portion of the hiring process.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the top-notch resume buzzwords you could use.

#1. Leadership

If you’re aiming for a C-suite position, your self-presentation could use some resume buzzwords for leadership skills .

These are mostly action verbs and will help you come across as leadership material in your interview, so make sure to include some of the following ones in your resume:

Resume Buzzwords For Leadership Skills

Spearheaded

Revitalized

Transformed

Rejuvenated

Drove growth

P&L Accountability

#2. Communication with Colleagues

Good communication with colleagues is an important asset to have when joining a team , and these are the perfect buzzwords to emphasize skills relevant to a good communicator:

Resume Buzzwords For Communication Skills

Oral communication

Presentation

Sense of humor

Open-mindedness

#3. Task/Project Management

If you’re applying for a project manager role, you need some project manager resume buzzwords that will make you stand out from the fierce competition.

First off, they can structure your resume by topic of discussion. Next, and more importantly, they can help you showcase your knowledge of the position and your expertise .

To accomplish both, you need to know where to insert which buzzword. That is why we’ve categorized them into three groups: resume buzzwords you can use for skills , tools , and concepts .

#4. Teamwork

Since the phrase “team player” is one of the washed-up, has-been resume buzzwords to avoid , you need powerful tags that will accentuate your team spirit and teamwork skills .

These action verbs will accomplish just that:

Resume Buzzwords For Teamwork Skills

Represented

Volunteered

Facilitated

Collaborated

Coordinated

#5. Creativity & Brainstorming

Creativity is a highly important asset, but stating that you’re creative sounds rather vague. That’s why we offer innovation and brainstorm buzzwords to accentuate your creative thinking skills .

Resume Buzzwords For Creative Thinking Skills

Established

#6. Research

If the job you’re aiming for requires solid research skills , these are the buzzwords that will help them shine:

Resume Buzzwords For Research Skills

Interpreted

Investigated

Data Analytics

#7. Achievements & Improvement

Important achievements and professional improvements should have their own spot in your resume. To draw attention to them, you should use the right buzzwords so they align with the description of the job you have your eye on. Here are some of them:

Resume Buzzwords for Achievements and Professional Improvements

Demonstrated

Outperformed

#8. Proficiency

While it may seem too basic, one of the buzzwords for proficiency is “proficient.” Well, in some cases, simplicity is key. In that spirit, let us offer a few effortless ways to accentuate your proficiency . You can use them to highlight your language or computer skills , as well as industry-specific ones .

Resume Buzzwords for Proficiency

Experienced

Resourceful

4 Examples of How to Use Resume Buzzwords in Your Resume

Having the right resume buzzwords is wasted potential if you don’t use them the right way. Many adjectives or action verbs in a row can be tiresome to read. Additionally, if you use too many buzzwords, you’re not accentuating anything, which is defying the very point of buzzwords.

Your selection and placement of buzzwords throughout your resume should also depend on the section. Therefore, we’ll categorize examples of how to use resume buzzwords in your resume by sections and highlight the differences between good and bad examples.

#1. Resume Buzzwords in the Summary

The summary section of your resume is a brief introduction, so you need to use it wisely. Using the wrong buzzwords or having a lack thereof can make an experienced candidate appear underqualified.

The difference between these two is clear. The first candidate is tech-savvy, proficient, and keen on assisting the team and facilitating communication. Moreover, they have experience in increasing team productivity to back up those claims.

Meanwhile, the other candidate has all the qualifications, but their resume won’t stand out. Additionally, their delivery is dry, making them seem less enthusiastic about the job.

#2. Resume Buzzwords in the Education Section

If you want to accentuate your academic accomplishments and milestones, you should sprinkle the education section of your resume with the right buzzwords.

However, you need to be careful to avoid sounding too vague. Take a look at the table below to see how this should and shouldn’t be done:

As you can see, the person on the right (and in the wrong) is vague about their achievements and has only two buzzwords, while the one on the left has managed to include four without overstuffing their resume.

#3. Resume Buzzwords in the Professional Experience Section

The professional experience section is where you want to highlight your technical skills, industry-related knowledge, and work experience relevant to the job in question.

As always, there are right and wrong ways to do it—take a look:

This comparison once again shows how four buzzwords in one sentence aren’t too much if you use them correctly. It’s also another example demonstrating that vagueness isn’t your friend when it comes to crafting your resume.

#4. Resume Buzzwords in Other Resume Sections

Other resume sections can involve your volunteer work and personal statements and projects. You can present your achievements in those areas as impressive or ordinary.

4 Valuable Tips for Incorporating Resume Buzzwords

For final touch-ups on your resume, we offer a few valuable tips for incorporating buzzwords . Whatever the job you’re applying for may be, following these simple guidelines will bring you closer to your goal.

#1. Analyze the Job Post

The job post itself may include some buzzwords that will enhance your resume. Analyze it to determine what skills the employer is looking for and how to make them stand out in your resume and cover letter by mimicking the keywords used in the ad.

#2. Research the Company

In your summary section, you should emphasize your values and expertise. Researching the company will offer insight into how they envision their perfect candidate . You can then use your newfound knowledge to present yourself as such by tailoring your resume to include the right buzzwords.

#3. Include Industry-Related Keywords

Whichever the industry and the sector you’re applying for, you’ll want to showcase your job-related skills. The best way to do that is to include industry-related keywords and highlight relevant skills with buzzwords.

#4. Highlight Your Strongest Assets

Highlighting your strongest assets is especially important if you don’t have a lot of experience. In that case, you’ll need to focus on emphasizing your potential and learning skills . Assets such as creativity and research skills are the ones you should aim to accentuate with the right buzzwords.

Final Thoughts

Landing a job can be a challenging task, but the right resume buzzwords will make you stand out as an enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and experienced candidate . However, knowing how and where to use them may not come naturally. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered, as our selection of buzzwords can make you the most memorable applicant.

Thus, learning which buzzwords to use and which are cliché, as well as what skills and traits to accentuate and where will get you a long way ahead of the competition!

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How to Write a Strong Personal Statement

• Ruth Gotian
• Ushma S. Neill

A few adjustments can get your application noticed.

Whether applying for a summer internship, a professional development opportunity, such as a Fulbright, an executive MBA program, or a senior leadership development course, a personal statement threads the ideas of your CV, and is longer and has a different tone and purpose than a traditional cover letter. A few adjustments to your personal statement can get your application noticed by the reviewer.

• Make sure you’re writing what they want to hear. Most organizations that offer a fellowship or internship are using the experience as a pipeline: It’s smart to spend 10 weeks and $15,000 on someone before committing five years and $300,000. Rarely are the organizations being charitable or altruistic, so align your stated goals with theirs
• Know when to bury the lead, and when to get to the point. It’s hard to paint a picture and explain your motivations in 200 words, but if you have two pages, give the reader a story arc or ease into your point by setting the scene.
• Recognize that the reviewer will be reading your statement subjectively, meaning you’re being assessed on unknowable criteria. Most people on evaluation committees are reading for whether or not you’re interesting. Stated differently, do they want to go out to dinner with you to hear more? Write it so that the person reading it wants to hear more.
• Address the elephant in the room (if there is one). Maybe your grades weren’t great in core courses, or perhaps you’ve never worked in the field you’re applying to. Make sure to address the deficiency rather than hoping the reader ignores it because they won’t. A few sentences suffice. Deficiencies do not need to be the cornerstone of the application.

At multiple points in your life, you will need to take action to transition from where you are to where you want to be. This process is layered and time-consuming, and getting yourself to stand out among the masses is an arduous but not impossible task. Having a polished resume that explains what you’ve done is the common first step. But, when an application asks for it, a personal statement can add color and depth to your list of accomplishments. It moves you from a one-dimensional indistinguishable candidate to someone with drive, interest, and nuance.

• Ruth Gotian is the chief learning officer and associate professor of education in anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and the author of The Success Factor and Financial Times Guide to Mentoring . She was named the #1 emerging management thinker by Thinkers50. You can access her free list of conversation starters and test your mentoring impact . RuthGotian
• Ushma S. Neill is the Vice President, Scientific Education & Training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She runs several summer internships and is involved with the NYC Marshall Scholar Selection Committee. ushmaneill

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How To Write A Ridiculously Good Personal Statement

Writing a fantastic personal statement doesn't have to be a mystery or difficult. This guide gives you actionable, real tips with examples.

Candidate Advice • CV Advice

Last Updated 17/06/2024

Your personal statement (often called a CV Profile or Personal Profile) is THE most important thing on your CV.

Why? Because it provides your first impression.

It’s your opportunity to GRAB HOLD of the reader’s attention and not let go!

The average recruiter or manager only spends seven to eight seconds reading a CV. 

However, the eyes will linger a little longer on a personal statement as it is right at the top of the page.

This is a PREMIUM space for you to use. So USE IT!

A fantastic personal statement can mean the difference between being accepted or rejected.

In the UK there were 2.8 vacancies per 100 employees.

That means for every three jobs you go for you’re competing against 99 other people.

That small paragraph is vital to securing that interview, by capturing the recruiter’s attention and convincing them to interview you.

Not a University Statement

This article talks about personal statements for CVs only. But I don’t want it to be confused with those used for university applications. 

These are longer, more detailed, and have a different purpose. 

If you’re after great advice on this click here for  advice on university personal statements .

What is a personal statement?

It’s the first four or five lines of your CV.

That is all you have to grab the attention of the recruiter and get them to read your CV.

Those lines have to provide a snapshot of who you are, what you have achieved, and most importantly what you can bring to the table.

This is your best opportunity to secure that job interview .

How To Structure It

Around four lines is the perfect amount. You definitely don’t want to exceed that. 

Space in your CV is incredibly important, so you don’t want to waste anything.

Four lines equals about 75 words.

When using size 10-11 font in Aptos (the Microsoft Word default font) it comes out at about four lines.

Now you might have to adjust the margins to fit in more, but it’s more about the line count than the word count.

It’s like Goldilocks. Not too long, not too short. Easy to skim read, but long enough to have detail.

With a small space, you need to be specific and carefully choose what to include.

Don’t worry, we will break everything down and help you write an amazing personal statement.

How to Write it

There’s only one person who truly knows you, YOU.

So don’t rely on a templated answer generated by AI .

By all means use AI to improve what you have already written, but don’t let it write for you.

Writing a personal statement is something you should do at the end.

You should update and write the rest of your CV first.

The reason is your personal statement should answer three questions clearly – Who are you? What skills do you have? How can you help our business?

This becomes easier if you have already written the rest of those points in your CV.

Start small. Write a short bullet point list of what you want to include. It should just cover the most impressive essentials.

Stuck? Look at your CV – What points would really stand out? What skills are they looking for?

You are a what? A marketer? A business consultant? Health and safety advisor? Carpenter? Etc.

Then what skills or achievements do you really want to highlight? Is it your communication or project management? Is it the fact you increased sales by 12% or made a saving of 35%? Whatever it is you are doing to highlight your best skills against what the recruiter is truly looking for.

Finally, it’s matching what you can do against what they need. Do they need a great communicator? Or a great leader? Do they need someone who can think outside of the box? Or do they need someone logical and methodical?

Whatever the need, make sure to make it clear that you fit that role perfectly.

The list could be like this;

• Marketer – Experienced, methodical, strategic
• Skills – Communication, strategy, management
• Achievements – Secured 207 leads in a single week long campaign, achieved a 30% increase in sales
• How it fits – They need a leader who can create a strategy and then deliver it.

By writing it out like this you have created an outline for your statement.

Having an outline makes it a lot easier to answer the questions.

The Writing Lesson

Starting with a blank page is scary. The lack of words can easily mean your mind feels empty of thoughts.

Even if you’re not the most creative of writers I will help guide you through how to word, phrase, write, and put together your statement.

The first thing to keep in mind is you should use the first person (i.e. I, Me, Myself etc) sparingly.

If you’re constantly saying “I did this” and “I achieved that” it sounds self-absorbed. Try and vary it up.

Obviously you are going to need to introduce yourself. A classic opening would be “I am a methodical strategist and marketer” or something along those lines.

After that intro use the third person WITHOUT PRONOUNS. Referring to yourself in the third person is weird anyway, so instead of, ‘She is a retail professional seeking a management role…’ would become ‘A retail professional seeking a management role…’

Now a lot of CV writers would shout at me for it, but using the first person to introduce and then third person provides a great balance between the personal and not sounding too pompous.

This is a balance. You want it to highlight what you as a person can provide the company whilst not sounding self absorbed. A good example is as follows.

• I am recent graduate in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. My studies have given me a comprehensive knowledge of economic theory and its practical application through data analysis. Accomplished user of Stata, Matlab, and SAS. Looking to use and improve existing skills and gain knowledge and experience in a fast-paced business environment in the role of Graduate Data Analyst with Equinox.
• I’m a BSc Economics graduate looking to make use of my educational attainment in a professional environment. I’m a team player with excellent communication skills and a confident user of data analysis software. Looking to gain experience as a data analyst.

Use The Active Tense

What do I mean by the active tense?

Look at the two examples below.

• I wrote a CV.
• The CV was written by me.

Or how about

• I achieved a 30% increase in sales.
• Sales were increased by 30% because of me.

Which ones sound better?

If you said the first one for each example then you’re correct. These are in the active tense. 

It’s all about where you put the verb (the action/doing word).

The sentence should be Pronoun, Verb, Rest of the Sentence. 

Pronoun = I, Me, He, She, You, They, Them

Verb = Any Action e.g. achieve, increase, do, write etc.

Rest of the sentence = Does what it says.

Going back to our examples:

• I (Pronoun) wrote (Verb) a CV. (Rest of the sentence)
• I (Pronoun) achieved (Verb) a 30% increase in sales. (Rest of the sentence)

If you’re still unsure you can always run your personal statement through the  Hemingway App . 

Hemingway will highlight different issues with a colour code so that you can rewrite and fix them to be punchy and clear. Doing this alongside double checking spelling and grammar with Grammarly will really double down the efforts and sharpen up your profile quickly and easily.

Don’t be boring! 

Boring will put off a hiring manager.

The easiest way to be boring is to use boring verbs or putting “very” in the sentence.

Choose the right words that will make your skills, experience, and accomplishments sound better.

This is all about grabbing the attention of the recruiter or hiring manager, so excitement beats boring every time.

Use strong, powerful verbs

In the words of Massive Attack “Love is a verb, love is a doing word”. Verbs are your new best friend when it comes to your CV.

Using a thesaurus and careful choice, you can make your achievements and skills sing.

Here’s a quick list of strong verbs for you to use in your personal statement.

• Established
• Increased/decreased
• Trained/mentored
• Volunteered

For a full list of verbs that you could use in your CV and personal statement check out  Indeed’s list of 139 action verbs.

At the end of the day, the stronger and more assertive and action based you can make your personal statement sound, the better.

Us Brits tend to have a habit of trying to downplay our achievements and skills, but your CV profile is not the time to do that.

Use Facts & Figures

Using numbers is amazing. By highlighting significant achievements and including exact figures in your profile you can capture the readers attention. 

It could be something as simple as “Increased sales by 30% in 6 months” but the use of numbers helps interrupt the flow of the profile in a good way.

It draws the eye of the reader and they are likely to re read the sentence to make sure they understand what you achieved.

Be very selective though and only highlight those pieces that would make you stand out to the company.

What Not To Write

We’ve shown you how to write your statement and what to include. 

We haven’t shown you what not to write.

Buzzwords / Overused Terms

A quick Google search will show you there are lots of lists of buzzwords to either include or exclude.

A lot of the time you will find the same words on both lists.

So which list do you trust?

Pick the ones that are most accurate and truthful.

Only put “high achiever” if you are a high achiever. 

Don’t lie or stretch the truth.

Be honest and use the most accurate, honest words or phrases. 

There are always ways of making you sound good without stretching the truth or lying.

You might find it more effective to communicate your qualities by detailing beneficial actions that relate to real-world scenarios instead of listing buzzwords like “ambitious,” “motivated,” and “driven.”

Try your best to avoid all cliches. There are lots of CV cliches but the most common one is “Works well on my own as well as part of a team”. This sounds like a good option to include, but it is so overused that it is now off putting to people.

Also if you think about it, it becomes a completely irrelevant sentence as being part of a company means you will either work on your own or as part of a team, you need to be able to do that as standard.

In fact some other common ones are “Hard working team player”, “results driven thought leader”, and “strong communicator”.

When you use cliches you sound unimaginative, unoriginal, and bland. As I have already said, boring or bland will instantly put off the recruiter or hiring manager.

I could write an entire blog on phrases to not include on a CV or in a personal statement.

But, the main ones to avoid are:

• Strong work ethic
• Multi-tasker
• Independent
• Detail-oriented
• Self-motivated
• Go-to-person
• Strategic thinker
• I can work on my own or as part of a team
• Think outside the box
• Results-driven
• I have good communication skill
• Hard worker
• People-person
• Team player

Avoid technical jargon as much as you can.

Unless the job description asks for specific skills or qualifications that you can prove using jargon, avoid using it.

If you cram your personal statement with technical terms it looks obvious and also disrupts the flow.

The most common form of jargon is putting a load of abbreviations into your statement. Only use these if they are specific titles or qualifications. Otherwise spell it out.

Do not put slang in your statement.

You’re talking to a hiring manager, not to your friend.

Even if the hiring manager is your friend, don’t use slang.

Keep it professional, clean, and clear.

Remember to tailor!

There is no on size fits all job. So don’t use a one size fits all profile (or CV for that matter)!

Quality will always beat out quantity. Take the time to  tailor each application to suit the needs and wants of the business.

Although you will end up applying to fewer roles, you will have a much better chance of getting an interview doing it this way.

Keywords are your friends

Use keywords. The majority of CVs now run through a piece of software called an ATS long before they ever reach the eyes of a recruiter.

ATS will be looking for keywords or phrases that match the job description to narrow down search results for recruiters.

Make sure that when you are tailoring your CV and your profile to a job, that you include the keywords that would make you stand out.

Quick Checklist!

• Get to the point – Remember short and sharp
• Who are you? 
• What skills and experiences do you offer? 
• Add your value to it – This is personal. Only you can add value
• Tailor it to the job description
• Highlight skills that you need
• Use the active voice, in the first person
• Use facts and figures – “Achieved a 30% increase in sales year on year”
• Be generic or just copy and paste something from ChatGPT
• Focus on yourself – Put the focus on them and yourself by answering “What skills and experience can you offer?”
• Ramble – A cover letter is the time to elaborate
• Only list achievements – Answer the questions in full sentences
• Forget to proofread
• We can never say it enough. Proofread every detail. Read it out loud. Send it to a friend or send it to a recruiter. Run it through  Grammarly or the  Hemingway App
• Use jargon, slang or clichés

Ta-Da! You have a personal statement.

This should perfectly complement your amazing CV !

Remember this is to make sure you get the interview. The interview will get you the job.

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Resume Buzzwords and Cliches to Avoid (+ What to Do Instead)

3 key takeaways

• What resume buzzwords are
• The words or phrases you can use instead
• How to use the Teal AI Resume Builder to improve your resume's language and impact

Writing a resume can be a daunting task, and it's all too easy to fall into the trap of using buzzwords and cliches to try to make your skills and accomplishments stand out. However, these popular, yet overused phrases can actually do more harm than good, as they can make your resume sound generic and uninspired. That's why it's important to avoid buzzwords and cliches, and instead focus on using language that accurately represents your unique skills and experience.

In this article, we'll explore the most common buzzwords and cliches to avoid on your resume and provide you with tips and tricks for creating a standout resume for your job search that truly showcases your qualifications. We'll show you how to use specific, results-oriented language to describe your accomplishments and responsibilities, and how to highlight your unique skills and experience in a way that sets you apart from the competition.

By the end of this article, you'll have the tools and knowledge to create a resume that catches the attention of potential employers and helps you land your dream job.

What are resume buzzwords?

Resume buzzwords are industry-specific keywords and phrases that are used to highlight relevant skills and qualifications on a resume. These words are often used to catch the attention of recruiters and hiring managers and to make the candidate stand out from other applicants.

They can be particularly effective when used strategically and in the right context. However, buzzwords can also be overused, leading to a resume that sounds generic and lacks substance.

Why buzzwords and cliches hurt your resume

All  great resume examples  effectively show hiring managers and recruiters that you are professional, detail-oriented, and a good communicator without having to say it. Overusing a resume buzzword can be counterproductive and can actually hurt your chances of getting hired.

If a recruiter or hiring manager sees the same buzzwords repeated over and over again, they may become skeptical of your actual experience and abilities. The problem with buzzwords and cliches is they come off as unoriginal and don't communicate the great things you have to offer a job.

If you write “creative, passionate, self-motivated worker” on your resume, there is no telling you apart from another candidate that describes themselves with the same words and phrases. Your experience and accomplishments, on the other hand, are more unique to you.

To avoid overusing buzzwords, it's important to use them sparingly and to ensure that they are backed up with specific examples of how you have demonstrated those skills in previous roles. If you have a strong application package using power words , you can take many of these cliches and buzzwords off your resume.

What types of resume buzzwords should you avoid?

When using resume buzzwords, it is important to be careful not to use words that are overused or that don't add value to your resume. Some types of buzzwords that you should avoid include:

• Vague or subjective words: Subjective words do not give a clear indication of your skills or achievements. Using subjective language may give the impression that you are not putting in the effort to properly articulate your skills and accomplishments.
• Overused buzzwords: Words like "team player", "detail-oriented", or "results-driven" are so commonly used that they have lost their impact and can make your resume unoriginal. Buzzwords are vague and often lack specific and meaningful information, and they don't provide concrete evidence of your skills.
• Jargon: Using industry-specific jargon can be helpful, but be careful not to overuse it. If a recruiter or hiring manager is not familiar with the jargon, they may not understand your resume.
• Clichés: Avoid using tired or clichéd resume phrases such as "think outside the box", "go-getter", or "people person". By using cliches, you are not showcasing your individuality or demonstrating what sets you apart from other candidates.

Visit this resume synonym library to find overused phrases, strong replacement words, and guidance on how to perfect the language on your resume.

How to avoid resume buzzwords

To avoid using buzzwords and cliches in your resume, try the following tips:

Use specific examples

Instead of using vague or subjective words, provide specific examples of how you have demonstrated a particular skill or accomplishment. For example, instead of saying "results-driven", provide specific metrics or achievements that demonstrate your ability to achieve results.

Use the AI integration feature within Teal's AI Resume Builder to generate bullet points. To get quality, metric-driven bullets, make sure to attach a job description to incorporate relevant keywords.

Tailor your language to the job description

Look at the job description and use language that reflects the skills and qualifications the employer is looking for. Use their specific terminology and keywords to tailor your resume and make it more relevant to the job.

Use Teal's AI Resume Builder to quickly compare the skills and keywords in the job posting to those in your resume with a Match Score. Make sure to add any relevant experience to your customized resume and to your application answers.

Avoid overused language

Avoid using common buzzwords and clichés that are overused. Instead, try to use language that is specific to your experience and skills. Use your own voice and personality to showcase your personal brand and stand out from other applicants.

While it may be tempting to use buzzwords to try to impress recruiters or hiring managers, it's important to be honest about your skills and experience. Use language that accurately reflects your abilities and accomplishments , and avoid exaggerating or overstating your achievements.

Examples of resume buzzwords to avoid

The below don't offer much substance, so avoid using these cliches and buzzwords in your resume. 

Creativity is a very broad and abstract way to describe your work. Instead of saying you are creative, share ideas, projects or situations where you used creativity in the workplace. 

Every candidate is driven. If they weren't, they wouldn't apply for the job. Instead of using “driven” to describe yourself, think about your top three career accomplishments. ‍

Loyalty is not something you typically see on a job description. It is also something to earn. You can demonstrate your loyalty to a company once you've decided it's a place you'd like to commit to.

Passionate 

Your resume and cover letter should illustrate your passion by highlighting accomplishments, awards, certifications or  promotions . 

Similar to “driven,” most candidates are motivated to go after the job they're applying for. A better way to show strong motivation is through accomplishments and advancements at work. 

Like “creative,” “organized” is another broad term that looks different for everyone. What does “organized” look like in your day-to-day life? Adhering to a schedule, hitting deadlines, managing a project and using apps to streamline your work are better ways to show your organizational skills. 

Innovative 

Did you contribute a new process at work or introduce a new line of business? Incorporate those innovative experiences into your resume. 

Professional 

Adding “professional” on a resume is unnecessary because how you communicate and showcase yourself will show recruiters and hiring managers your professionalism. 

This word is the workforce's biggest cliche, with many jokes devoted to mocking its existence. “Synergy” simply means you worked well with another person or group, which is typically a core job expectation. 

Hard worker

“Hard” looks different for everyone. So instead of saying you're a hard worker, share a challenging experience and how you overcame it. 

Fast learner

The best way to show you are a fast learner is to include certifications, promotions and in-demand skills on your resume. These examples communicate that you seek out learning opportunities and can take on something new in a short period of time. 

Team player

Interpersonal relationships are an important part of the workforce, as businesses rely on multiple people to run. Instead of saying you are a team player, share projects you collaborated with other team members on. 

Detail-oriented

Hiring managers and recruiters can start to assess if you are detail-oriented by looking at your resume and cover letter. If it is well formatted, easy to read and doesn't have typos, you're on the right track. Listing projects where you had to pay particularly close attention to detail could help here too.

Good communicator 

Your application package is your opportunity to prove you have good communication skills. How you build your resume, write your cover letter and correspond with the hiring manager or recruiter says more than writing “good communicator” or "excellent communicator" on your resume. 

Strong work ethic 

This is another instance where showing is more important than telling. Show you have a strong work ethic by listing your hard skills, data that supports your work and any promotions, certifications or degrees earned.

Best words to use on a resume instead

Action verbs.

Using power words like  action words and active voice  is always recommended when writing your resume and cover letter . Sentences written in active voice are confident and concise, which pairs well with resume writing. 

In an active voice, the subject (noun) performs the action (verb).  ‍

Passive Voice: "A 20% increase in sales over six months was achieved through the introduction of a new marketing strategy by the team."

Active Voice: "Led the team to introduce a new marketing strategy, achieving a 20% increase in sales over six months."

In the above example, the active-voice sentence uses fewer words. With little space to work with, active voice paired with a power word helps trim the character count and communicate your experience confidently to recruiters and hiring managers. 

Specific and quantifiable terms

Employers are often looking for candidates who can provide concrete evidence of their abilities and achievements, and using specific terms can help you demonstrate this. Quantifiable terms such as numbers and percentages also provide concrete evidence of your accomplishments, making your claims more credible. For example:  "increased sales revenue by 25%," "reduced production time by 20%," or "managed a team of 10 employees."

Industry-specific terminology

Use industry-specific terminology to showcase your knowledge and expertise in your field and that you have a good understanding of the work involved. For example, if you're in marketing, use terms like "brand awareness," "lead generation," and "SEO."

Results-oriented language

Use results-oriented language to demonstrate your impact on your previous employer or organization. For example, instead of saying "worked on a project," say "developed and implemented a successful project that achieved X results."

Action-oriented statements

Use action-oriented statements to show how you took initiative and achieved results in your previous roles. For example, instead of saying "responsible for managing a team," say "successfully managed a team of X employees to achieve Y results."

Results-oriented accomplishments

Use language that highlights your specific accomplishments and their impact, such as "increased revenue by X amount," "saved the company Y dollars," or "streamlined operations, resulting in a Z% increase in efficiency."

Examples of words to use on your resume instead

Instead of commonly used buzzwords, consider these action words to show, not tell, your work experience. 

Do you work with subordinates? Include how many people managed and the scope of work. Managing doesn't only involve people, though. You can also manage projects, communication, inventory and more. 

Similar to “improved,” using the word “grew” with hard data shows hiring managers and recruiters you do your job well and aren't satisfied with stagnancy. 

Communicate your leadership experience by incorporating “led” in your resume. Leadership is a sought-after quality, so think of any opportunity—within or outside your career—to show your skills.  

Researched 

If the job you're pursuing requires you to dig deep into information, use the word “researched” and describe how you gathered that information. 

Identified 

Pair “identified” with any examples that highlight your curiosity and ability to problem solve.

Workers charged with overseeing a project or job are typically trustworthy and responsible, traits you want to convey in your resume and cover letter. 

The word “operated” implies some sort of skill needed. Introduce hiring managers and recruiters to any skills you have that other candidates don't. 

Hiring managers and recruiters love seeing results. Use data and analytics to show how you used your knowledge and skills to improve something. 

Another way to communicate your organizational skills is to use the word “planned” to describe work, projects or events you put together. 

Collaborated 

Collaborations and partnerships are strong examples of being a team player. If you worked with another department or professionals outside your company, “collaborated” is a great way to show you work well with others. 

If you've trained someone on a job or skill, incorporate that detail into your resume, as it proves you are knowledgeable enough to pass that information onto someone else. 

Coordinated

Using the word “coordinated” and sharing an example will get more attention than writing “organized” on your resume. Show how you are organized by highlighting the work, teams, initiatives and partnerships you've coordinated. 

Did you see a project from start to finish? Use “executed” to describe your experience on the project. 

Show your assertive side by sharing examples where you delegated work for a more efficient process. 

Mentoring shows you are knowledgeable in a particular area. Have you mentored any young professionals? Make sure you include it in your resume. 

Using the above words shows recruiters and hiring managers what you have done in your career and what you can do for their company. They show action and highlight accomplishment, which is what you want on your resume. 

How to quickly create a strategically worded resume

Avoiding resume buzzwords and cliches is essential for creating a resume that stands out to potential employers. By using Teal's AI Resume Builder , job seekers can create a resume that is tailored to their skills and experience, while avoiding overused phrases and meaningless buzzwords.

The builder offers a range of formats, customizable sections, and keyword suggestions to help job seekers create a strategically worded resume that highlights their accomplishments and sets them apart from other applicants.

Teal's AI Resume Builder also stores an exhaustive list detailing your career history, making it easy to pick and choose the best experience to include in your application package.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the buzzwords and cliches in resume.

Common buzzwords and clichés in resumes are those often overused words and phrases that may not effectively convey your unique skills and accomplishments.

What buzzwords can hurt you on a resume?

Buzzwords that can hurt you on a resume are those that are vague, overly used, or subjective. These can make your resume seem unoriginal or lack concrete evidence of your abilities.

How do I remove buzzwords and cliches from my resume?

To remove buzzwords and clichés from your resume, focus on using specific, action-oriented language that clearly describes your achievements. Quantify your resume bullets with numbers and metrics where possible, and tailor your resume to highlight skills and experiences relevant to the job you're applying for.

Becca Dershowitz

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• Sociology Personal Statements
• Sports & Leisure Personal Statements
• Sports Science Personal Statements
• Surveying Personal Statements
• Teacher Training Personal Statements
• Theology Personal Statements
• Travel and Tourism Personal Statements
• Urban Planning Personal Statements
• Veterinary Science Personal Statements
• Zoology Personal Statements
• Personal Statement Editing Service
• Personal Statement Writing Guide
• Submit Your Personal Statement
• Personal Statement Questions 2025

Business Personal Statement Examples

What is a business personal statement?

Your business personal statement is essential for telling the university about your main strengths, and highlighting what sets you apart from all the other candidates.

Admissions tutors want to see candidates with real world business experience, who can apply it to their degree and bring value to their department.

It should also convey your passion for the subject, as well as why you want to pursue a degree in this particular subject.

How do I write a business personal statement?

It’s a good idea to start your statement with why you want to study business at university. Talk about one or two aspects that appeal to you and why.

Make sure you back up everything with examples, since you need to convince the admissions tutors that you they should offer you a place on their business course.

A successful business personal statement should be written clearly and concisely, with a good introduction, middle, and conclusion, without any waffle - remember, you only have a limited space of 4,000 characters. Our personal statement length checker can help you make sure you're within the character limit.

For inspiration on how to write your own unique statement, take a look at some of our business personal statement examples above, which will help you with how to structure it and what to include.

What should I include in my business personal statement?

It’s important to include skills and experience from all areas of your life and try to relate them to hobbies or extracurricular activities if they helped you to build on your strengths.

Think about how any work experience has helpd you, what you have learned from it, and how it might be useful in your degree.

University admissions tutors want business students on their course that are going to work hard and are going to be an asset to their department.

For more help and advice on what to write in your business personal statement, please see:

• Personal Statement Editing Services
• Personal Statement Tips From A Teacher
• Analysis Of A Personal Statement
• The 15th January UCAS Deadline: 4 Ways To Avoid Missing It
• Personal Statement FAQs
• Personal Statement Timeline
• 10 Top Personal Statement Writing Tips
• What To Do If You Miss The 15th January UCAS Deadline.

Further resources

For more information and advice on business degrees and careers, please see the following:

• Business Undergraduate Degrees - WhatUni
• Business & Management Studies - The Complete University Guide
• Careers in Business - LSE
• How to get into a career in business - TARGETCareers

Related resources

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30+ Business Buzzwords & Corporate Lingo for 2024

by Nicole Menendez

on Jun 14, 2024

Ever found yourself having to Google the latest buzzwords to try to decipher a work email?

It’s hard to keep up sometimes. 

Just last week, my colleague used the word “spitball”. 

As I sat there, disgusted at the picture of us doing heaven knows what to a ball, it dawned on me: he must mean something else!

To save you the unsavory mental images and improve your writing skills, we’ve compiled a list of common buzzwords with their meanings, plus alternatives for each. 

Let’s get stuck in.

What Is a Buzzword?

A buzzword is a popular word or phrase that people use to describe a concept, idea, or trend that is in vogue. 

They’re often used in marketing campaigns , social media, customer service, advertising, and more to make something seem exciting or new.

31 Trending Corporate Buzzwords That’ll Have You Grinning Like a Possum

From industry jargon to tech slang, these marketing buzzwords are frequently used in conversations, presentations, and even job interviews.

Synergy is simply the sum of the efforts that exceed those of the individual.

Here’s an example of how it’s used:

The synergy between the sales and marketing departments resulted in a 30% increase in revenue.

Another classic way to say it is “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. 

2. Deep Dive

You might find this buzzword during a brainstorming session when someone wants to do a thorough analysis of an idea or issue. 

For example:

Let’s take a  deep dive into How Web Browsers work.

You could instead say have an “in-depth discussion” or do a “thorough analysis”.

3. Low Hanging Fruit? 

This common buzzword usually refers to taking the easy wins before tackling the ones that require more time or effort. 

Our team decided to focus on the low-hanging fruit first, by targeting customers who had already shown interest in our product.

Other alternatives that mean the same are “easy pickings” or “easy wins”.

4. Think Outside the Box 

This buzzword has been around for decades and has become a staple in corporate jargon. It’s all about breaking free from the norm and finding fresh, innovative solutions. 

For instance, you might say:

Let’s think outside the box and come up with something unexpected.

A simpler way to express this would be, “Let’s get creative and think of something new.” 

5. Content is King

Coined by Bill Gates, “content is king” simply means to succeed, it’s important to publish engaging, high-quality content.

For example, a content marketer might say:

We need to prioritize creating informative blog posts, content is king.

Another way to say it would be “great content drives success”. 

6. Ping 

Bizarrely, “ping” doesn’t come from the sound of a message hitting your inbox but from a technical term meaning to check the status of another computer. 

Nowadays, it’s come to mean “let me know through digital messaging”.

Ping me when you’re ready.

A universal way to say it would be, “Send me a message when you’re ready”. 

7. Thought Leader

“Thought leader” is a buzzword used to describe someone who is considered an expert in their industry and has innovative, insightful ideas. 

She’s a thought leader in the marketing space and always has fresh insights.

A simpler way to express this would be, “She’s an industry expert who offers unique and influential ideas.”

8. Metaverse

“Metaverse,” a product of artificial intelligence (AI — another buzzword), is used to describe a virtual shared space created by the convergence of physical and virtual reality. 

Let’s take a look at an example:

Mark Zuckerberg has set out to pioneer the creation of an immersive metaverse.

A simpler way to express this is to describe it like it is, “a virtual world where the physical and digital merge.”

9. Move the Needle

An action that “moves the needle” has a significant impact on the outcome. 

It’s a popular term because it encourages you to focus on what really matters. 

To get a new job, crafting an impressive resumé will move the needle.

You can express it without the jargon by saying “have a high impact” or “making a difference”.

10. Circle Back 

One of the least liked buzzwords of our time, “circle back” means to revisit a point. 

Some people find it insincere because it can be used to delay or avoid addressing an issue directly.

For instance:

Let’s circle back to your point in a separate meeting.

An alternative is to say, “Follow it up later” or “Return to the topic at a later time”.

11. Take this Offline

“Take this offline” is a buzzword used in business conversations to suggest moving the discussion away from the current meeting or public forum.

We better take this discussion offline.

You could express the same idea by saying, “Let’s discuss this further in a private conversation outside this meeting.”

12. New Normal

We’ve all heard this enough times! Coined during the COVID-19 pandemic to describe the shift towards a new way of life, it’s nobody’s favorite buzzword!

Working remotely has become the new normal for many companies.  

Instead, you can say, “The way things are done has changed due to the pandemic” or “We’re adjusting to a new way of living”.

13. Zoom (as a Verb)

“To Zoom” has replaced “to Skype” and has become a popular buzzword for virtual meetings. It can also be used as a verb meaning or to participate in a virtual meeting. 

Such as: 

Let’s zoom at 2 pm to discuss the project.  

To avoid jargon, you can also say, “Let’s have a video conference.” 

14. Alignment

“Alignment”, as a buzzword, describes bringing people or teams together to work towards a common goal. 

We need to get everyone in alignment on our project timeline . 

An alternative way to express it would be “to be on the same page” or “working towards the same goal”. 

15. Value Add

“Value add” describes a service or product that offers an additional benefit beyond its basic function. 

Our company offers value add services such as 24/7 customer service.

Offering more services as part of a product isn’t new. There are many ways to express it, like “our company offers extra benefits” or “unique advantages”. 

16. Bandwidth

“Bandwidth” is a newly acquired business term that came from radio waves and now means someone’s work capacity at a given time point.

As an example:

What’s your bandwidth this month?

Meaning, “What’s your capacity to take on work this month?”

It’s a useful term, but if you prefer plain speak, you can ask, “How much work can you take on” instead. 

17. Customer Journey

The customer journey is the path a person follows from the moment they discover your product to the moment they become a customer.

Here’s an example:

Our team is working to improve the customer journey by identifying pain points.

There aren’t many ways to describe this term without being long-winded, so it’s a useful new expression. 

However, one alternative could be “customer experience”.

18. Big Data

Big data is a new term that refers to computers that can process large, complex data sets. It just means lots of data that a human can’t analyze without special software.

97.2% of organizations are investing in big data and AI.

Saying “large amounts of data” is also fine.

19. Growth Hacking

Growth hacking is like life hacking, but it means “tricks” or low-cost strategies to grow a business. It’s a rebellious little “beat the system” manifesto.

Dropbox is a company known for its creative growth hacks

If you want to keep it simple, you can say “low-cost growth strategies” or “budget ideas for growth”. 

20. Incentivize

Is it even a word?!

Officially, yes. 

According to the  Oxford Dictionary , it means “to encourage someone to behave in a particular way by offering them a reward.”

Here’s an example:

You need to incentivize your customers so they remain loyal to your brand.

But you can also just say “reward” or “encourage” and skip the buzzword altogether.

21. Smarketing

Smarketing combines the words “sales” and “marketing”.  

In plain speak, it means a client acquisition strategy that integrates sales and marketing in synergy (buzzword alert!). 

For example: 

Incorporating smarketing into will enable you to get the best out of both departments.

Prefer to use plain English? Try “integrated sales and marketing strategy.” 

22. Hyperlocal

Hyperlocal is exactly what it says on the label — something relevant in a small community or small local area. 

Google Maps offers a hyperlocal search when you look for a restaurant near you.

Just saying “local” also covers it, but you can specify where or in which group to further define the area.

23. Retargeting

Retargeting is actually a real word that existed before the internet.

Nowadays, it’s used in digital marketing to focus ads on potential customers who have visited your website and left.

Cookies inform retargeting platforms that they should send specific ads to your browser.

Some alternative expressions are “refocusing” or “targeting site visitors”.

24. Freemium

You know, when you sign up for a free account to get you hooked but only get the good stuff with the paid version?

Well, that’s a freemium.

It’s a play-on-words of “free” and “premium.” Such as:

Have you tried our freemium product?

So, what are your options if you want to sound like you’re human and not AI?

Simply say “free version of a premium product” or “free version”.

25. Weasel Words

This is a great buzzword because of the  imagery it presents.

Being a weasel — trying to avoid giving a straight answer — is generally frowned upon. Weasel words are the kind of words a weasel would use.

“ Research shows… ”

… and not referencing the source.

To ensure your audience understands you, call it “evasive language” or “doublespeak”. 

26. Holistic Approach

This one’s been on the market for some time, especially in the wellness sector. It means looking at a situation as a whole to decide the best course of action.

Our company’s holistic approach means we don’t just focus on closing deals, but also on building long-term relationships with our clients.

Another way to say it is to “approach something from a wider perspective”.

27. Boots on the Ground

“Boots on the ground” comes from army-speak, but as a business buzzword it means employees physically in contact with customers.

We need to get our boots on the ground and visit our customers in person .

If you prefer to sound like a civilian, you can say “directly interact with customers” or “meet in person”.

28. Digital Transformation 

Digital transformation is an entire buzzword category in and of itself. 

It symbolizes the adoption and integration of digital technology into all facets of business. 

Our company experienced a digital transformation during the Covid pandemic. The online  revenue increased by 200%, while our in-person sales plummeted.

You could also say the alignment of tech, content marketing , social media , email marketing , and more. 

29. Give 110% 

Ah, the classic buzzword “give 110%” — or pushing yourself to go above and beyond what’s expected to achieve success.

As Don Zimmer said:

What you lack in talent, can be made up with desire, hustle and giving 110% all the time.

In simpler terms, it means to work really hard. But where’s the fun in saying that? 

30. Paradigm Shift

The term “paradigm shift” is used in many circles.

Essentially, it means a fundamental change in how things work or are perceived. 

The rise of online shopping has caused a paradigm shift in the retail world. 

It just means things have been turned upside down. So, instead, you could say, “flipped it on its head.”

31. Reinvent the Wheel

A classic buzzword that means to create something new when there’s already a good solution out there. 

We don’t need to reinvent the wheel with this campaign.

In other words, don’t fix it if it ain’t broken!

Master Business Buzzwords to Elevate Your Communication

Knowing the latest buzzwords is crucial in the ever-changing landscape of the business world. 

But don’t overuse them, or they’ll end up losing their meaning. 

So, start incorporating these buzzwords into your vocabulary today to enhance your writing , and you’ll be grinning like a possum in no time!

Nicole Menendez

The ultimate toolkit for becoming one of the highest-paid writers online. Premium training. Yours for free.

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Corporate buzzwords: a full guide about the use of office jargon

June 4, 2024

“Let's circle back and synergize our core competencies to engage in some blue-sky thinking and embrace the low-hanging fruit to ensure we have all our ducks in a row .” If you had to look up a word to get this sentence, you're not alone. Over half of young professionals admit to looking up a term in a meeting to understand the conversation , while 83% said they used a corporate buzzword they didn't understand to sound professional. 1

Welcome to the world of business buzzwords ! That special blend of jargon in the office , popping up in meetings and flooding your emails. Here, we dive into the words that shape our work environments, from the catchphrases everyone loves to those annoying corporate phrases you hate.

Whatever you're looking for, from lists of workplace buzzword examples to business lingo dictionaries , we've got you covered. We'll see which corporate expressions boost communication and which harm it. So grab your coffee, and let's demystify the trending buzzwords that keep our office conversations buzzing.

Definition of corporate buzzwords

Corporate buzzwords, also known as business jargon or office lingo, are words or phrases commonly used in work settings. They’re meant to convey complex ideas succinctly and demonstrate professional expertise. But they can sometimes make things more confusing instead of clearer.

While the right jargon can help everyone get on the same page in your workplace, using too much or the wrong kind can really throw people off. In fact, a LinkedIn survey revealed that 48% of younger workers like Millennials and Gen Z feel left out when these trending buzzword phrases fly over their heads. 1 

Common industry buzzword examples include “synergy,” “low-hanging fruit,” “think outside the box,” “circle back”, and “touch base”. While some corporate lingo like “FYI” tends to be harmless, terms such as “rockstar” or “ninja” in job descriptions might push potential applicants away because they come off as more flashy than sincere.

What to think about business buzzwords: are they good or bad?

As we explained before, buzzwords and corporate lingo are useful for expressing complex ideas concisely and fostering shared understanding within an organization. While some jargon, like “FYI,” is harmless, others, such as “circle back”, took the #1 spot on the list of most annoying buzzwords. 2

Yet, people commonly use business lingo at work, with 38% appearing in emails, 29% in person, and 24% in instant messages. 2 The problem is that excessive or inappropriate use can also hurt communication, come across as inauthentic or exclusionary, and create barriers, especially for people who don't know corporate lingo. 

For example, many Gen Z and millennial workers are unfamiliar with common workplace phrases adopted by older generations, creating a communication gap. Plus, 55% of survey respondents view buzzwords negatively in job postings, with only 2% finding them appealing. 3

Ultimately, business buzzwords are neither good nor bad; their impact depends on how they’re used. They tend to be useful for shorthand exchanges within industries, but overuse or misuse can ruin clarity, creativity, and trust. The key is to strike a balance between plain language and relevant jargon to convey expertise without compromising inclusivity or authenticity.

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Millennials and Gen Z's opinions about office buzzwords

Millennials and Gen Z view buzzwords and corporate jargon quite differently from older generations. They often feel confused and excluded by terms such as “blue-sky thinking” and “low-hanging fruit”. More than 60% of young workers say corporate lingo is similar to a foreign language. 1 Often, this leads to misunderstandings during meetings when they have to look up terms or use confusing words.  

While a significant 67% of Gen Z and Millennials recognize that being fluent in workplace language could aid their career progression 1 , they also express frustration with the overuse of certain buzzwords. Interestingly, these younger generations are injecting their own slang into the workplace, like “vibe,” “no cap” (meaning to tell the truth), and “bet”.

With so many Gen Zers not knowing common corporate lingo, workplace communication has a generational disconnect. To bridge this gap, you’ll need an effective cross-generational communication strategy that incorporates traditional corporate speech with modern terminology.

The 20 most used office jargon phrases

We could all use a business jargon dictionary. So, without further ado, here are some of the most used corporate buzzword examples.

• Touch base : A way of saying “let's talk” or “let's meet to discuss something”.
• Deep dive : A thorough exploration or analysis of a particular subject or issue.
• Take it offline : To have a private conversation rather than in the current meeting or forum.
• Social proof : The psychological concept where people are influenced by others, pushing them to act within societal norms or expectations. 
• Thought leadership : Being recognized as an authority in a specific field, often highlighted through insights that address industry challenges.
• Sync : To ensure information is consistent and updated across all relevant parties or devices.
• Pushback : Resistance or opposition to a proposal or idea.
• Pipeline : In business, a system for tracking and pursuing potential clients or projects.
• Have in one’s back pocket : To have something prepared but not yet revealed.
• Loop in : To include someone in a group or process.
• FYI : “For Your Information” - Used to inform somebody of a specific matter.
• Win-Win : A situation or outcome that is good for everyone involved.
• Unpack : To analyze or examine something in detail.
• Above and beyond : Going beyond what is required or expected.
• Hop on a call : To start or join a telephone conversation or virtual meeting.
• Level up : To increase or improve something in order to reach the next level.
• Out of pocket : To be unavailable or unreachable.
• Ping you : To contact or send a brief message.
• Bandwidth : The capacity to handle or manage work.
• On my radar : Being aware of or monitoring a situation.

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The 10 most annoying corporate phrases

Here’s a rundown of the top ten annoying corporate phrases that might make you and your coworkers cringe.

• Circle back : To revisit or follow up on a topic after gathering more information or after other events have occurred.
• Think outside the box : A call to think creatively, beyond the usual ways of considering a problem.
• Low-hanging fruit : Easy tasks or goals that are readily achievable without much effort.
• Synergize : To collaborate effectively, combining strengths to achieve more significant results.
• Boil the ocean : To attempt an impossible task or project.
• Blue sky thinking : Creative ideas that are not limited by current thinking or beliefs.
• Move the needle : To cause a noticeable change or improvement.
• Let's table this : To postpone or put an issue aside.
• Put a pin in it : To pause or stop discussing a topic to address it later.
• Get ducks in a row : To organize things well.

The 10 funniest corporate lingo

Who said corporate jargon phrases couldn't be funny? You'll laugh at these 10 corporate lingos.

• Open the kimono : To share information openly, particularly that which is often kept private.
• Trim the fat : To talk about the action of reducing unnecessary business expenses.
• Drink the Kool-Aid : To completely buy into an idea or plan, often without critical thought.
• Voluntold : To be told to volunteer.
• Bain dump : To put all the ideas going on in your head on paper.
• Jump the shark : To mark a point at which something begins to decline in quality or appeal.
• Run it up the flagpole : To present an idea to see if it receives approval.
• Herding cats : Trying to control or organize a group that is inherently uncontrollable.
• Throw it up and see what sticks : To try something to see what is successful.
• Boots on the ground : People physically present in an area or working on a task.

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The 14 workplace buzzwords in 2024

We're well into 2024, so staying on top of this year’s trending buzzwords is important. Here a some corporate jargon examples you'll want to know this year:

• Hybrid work : A work arrangement that includes both remote and on-site work.
• Quiet quitting : Doing the bare minimum required by one's job responsibilities without formally resigning.
• Artificial Intelligence : AI technologies becoming increasingly integral in workplace automation and decision-making processes.
• COP/EOP/EOD : Refers to the end of the business day.
• Touchpoint : A point of communication between a company and its customers.
• Elevator pitch : A brief and persuasive speech to spark interest in what your organization does.
• Ballpark figure : An approximate number.
• Brick and mortar : Physical buildings, especially in retail.
• Customer-centric : Putting the customer at the center of business decisions.
• Greenfield project : A project that lacks constraints imposed by prior work.
• USP : The factor presented by a seller as the reason that one product is different from and better than that of the competition.
• MVP : The most pared-down version of a product that can still be released.
• Coffee badging : The informal act of promoting one’s achievements during casual interactions, like coffee breaks.
• Office peacocking : Showcasing one's skills or accomplishments prominently to gain attention in the workplace.

Best practices when it comes to the use of corporate buzzwords

When using business jargon, there are some best practices to follow. Here are the most important ones.

Moderation is key

When buzzwords are overused, they become inauthentic and come off as exclusionary. Keep it simple and only incorporate relevant jargon when possible.

Know your audience

Remember who you're talking to. Using too many buzzwords can annoy those unfamiliar with the jargon, such as customers, new employees, or people from different cultures. Make sure everyone understands what you're saying.

Provide context

If using industry-specific terms, provide context or clear explanations, especially when addressing a broad audience. This ensures your message is understood and prevents confusion.

Avoid gimmicky language

Phrases like “rockstar” or “ninja” in job postings can deter applicants by sounding too gimmicky or insincere. Stick to straightforward language that accurately represents the role and company culture.

Bridge generational gaps

Almost 40% of Gen Z workers don't know common workplace phrases used by older demographic groups. To promote cross-generational understanding, use modern lingo and avoid outdated jargon.

Back up claims

If you use buzzwords like “innovator” or “team player” in your resume or job application, back them up with specific examples.

By following these tips, you can ensure that buzzwords enhance rather than hinder communication in your workplace.

As we wrap up our deep dive into corporate buzzwords , remember it's not just about keeping all your ducks in a row or frequently touching base . It's about making sure that when we circle back or leverage our synergies , we’re actually communicating effectively and not just filling the air with buzz. 

Keep it light, relevant , and understandable . Whether you're a seasoned pro at navigating office jargon or still figuring out if you've been unintentionally ' boiling the ocean ', the key takeaway is simple: use buzzwords thoughtfully to improve understanding, not complicate it. Here’s to making our workplace lingo as productive and inclusive as possible, with no need for a dictionary or a decoder!

Subscribe to the deskbird newsletter below to stay up-to-date with the latest corporate jargon and workplace trends !

1 Gen Z and millennial workers feel confused, irritated, and left out by endless 'workplace jargon' in the office, LinkedIn research shows , Business Insider.

2 Study Reveals the Most Annoying Corporate Jargon , Preply.

‍ 3 Corporate buzzwords: good, bad, or scaring off new hires? , EHL Insights.

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Paulyne is a highly respected expert in hybrid work. She's known for her writing on sustainability in the hybrid office, flexible work models, and employee experience. With a strong background in content and SEO, her work explores the exciting trends and latest news in the world of work.

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Business Jargon: 30+ Corporate Buzzwords and What They Mean

Sudarshan Somanathan

Head of Content

August 8, 2024

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You presented your project proposal to your manager for approval, and she said, “It’s good, but you haven’t moved the needle.” You sensed that something was off because of the ‘but’ in her statement. 

But what does she mean by “moving the needle”?

Well, it is business jargon that means “your project proposal isn’t impactful enough to make a huge difference.” This is one example, but if you often hear words at the workplace that confuse you, you probably need to know your corporate jargon. 

These are acronyms, phrases, or expressions specific to businesses that have a common understanding of what they mean in the corporate world. 

Not knowing business jargon can make you a victim of miscommunication, leading to misaligned expectations, slower decision-making, and reduced confidence in a professional setting. 

Let’s help you get familiar with these corporate buzzwords so you can understand them clearly and respond confidently without feeling left out.

Understanding Business Jargon  

Business jargon examples across different industries, potential problems with corporate jargon, tips to minimize the misuse of business jargon in the corporate world, enable better communication with clickup.

Business jargon refers to specialized and technical expressions or euphemisms used in the business world to communicate ideas. It often varies from industry to industry and profession to profession. 

If your friend comes to you and says he doesn’t know how to break the ice on his next date, you automatically know he isn’t talking about literally breaking the ice but instead how to begin a conversation. 

Similarly, project management terms like “synergy” or “leverage” are not always literal in business. 

Why do we need business jargon? 

Corporate buzzwords make things easy, especially for complex concepts.

Here’s a simple example. 

You want to understand how much risk a client will take when investing in a new technology. Instead of penning down, “What are your organization’s boundaries for risk in terms of potential losses or setbacks associated with new technology investments?” you can simply use this corporate speak and ask, “What is your risk appetite like?”

Corporate jargon helps with the following: 

• Efficiency: Business jargon helps individuals communicate precisely and quickly, saving time during meetings, reports, and correspondence
• Professionalism: Using industry-specific jargon signals professionalism, helping to establish credibility and authority within a particular field
• Collaboration: Jargon ensures that everyone within a specific industry or organization has a shared understanding of key terms and concepts to help align expectations 

Key ideas and purposes behind common business jargon

Business jargon often has roots in specific industries or professional practices and serves distinct purposes in communication. Let’s look at a few common terms, their origin and purpose: 

• Market liquidity: It describes the ease of buying and selling assets without directly impacting their price. The purpose of this jargon is to help traders understand the market conditions to make informed decisions 
• User Experience Design (UX Design): Emerged from human-computer interaction and cognitive psychology, it focuses on enhancing the usability of digital interfaces. An example of jargon within this category is “user journey,” which streamlines discussions about creating user-friendly and efficient digital experiences
• Call to Action (CTA): Originating from marketing and advertising, this term is used to prompt immediate responses from the audience. Whether it is signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase, the purpose is to drive user engagement and increase conversion 
• Market trend: Coming from economic analysis, this term helps businesses anticipate changes and make strategic adjustments based on these observed patterns 
• Blue sky thinking: It is a term used to describe a creative and open-minded approach to problem-solving and idea generation. It’s like looking up at a vast, limitless sky and letting your imagination run wild. Blue sky thinking aims to generate a wealth of ideas that can be refined and developed later, as opposed to finding a practical solution right away
• Low-hanging fruit: This term is often used as a metaphor used to describe something that is easily achievable or attainable. It’s like the fruit on a tree that’s within easy reach, without needing a ladder. For example, a company might focus on improving customer service as low-hanging fruit to boost satisfaction before tackling more complex challenges like product development
• Paradigm shift: A paradigm shift is a significant change in the way we think about or do something. It’s when a new and different discovery or idea replaces the usual and accepted way of understanding or approaching a subject

There are some overused business jargon that all HRs might be familiar with, while there are others that all finance teams must understand well. To help you navigate these terms, we’ve compiled a list of popular corporate jargon from various industries, including HR, marketing, IT, and finance.

Human Resource

HR plays a central role in maintaining relationships and communicating with the team. Whether dealing with recruitment, performance management, or workforce planning, you’re likely to come across terms like:

1. Employee experience 

Employee Experience (EX) describes how employees feel about company work. It includes interacting with coworkers and managers , the onboarding process, and their daily work environment.

Example : “ To improve overall productivity and reduce turnover rates, the company launched a comprehensive Employee Experience program.”

2. Golden handshake 

This business term describes a financial payment given to an employee when they leave the company. It’s a gesture of appreciation for their service and dedication.

You might find the HR representative saying, “Given your significant contributions to the company, we want to make sure you leave on a positive note with a substantial golden handshake as a token of our appreciation.”

3. Work-life balance

Work-life balance means having a healthy relationship between work and life. It is a commonly used term in workspaces that promote the overall well-being of the employee and prevent burnout. 

A company’s HR representative envisioning a healthy balance might say, “We’re committed to helping our staff achieve a good work-life balance. So, we offer flexible hours and remote work options.”

4. Culture fit 

It refers to finding employees whose values and working style align well with the company’s culture and ethos. 

HR often uses this term when looking for new employees: “We’re looking for candidates who are a strong culture fit, so they mesh well with our team and contribute positively to our work environment.”

5. Employee value proposition (EVP)

The Employee Value Proposition (EVP) refers to the total benefits and rewards a company provides its employees in return for their work. 

When answering what the company offers to an employee, HR might say, “Our EVP focuses on competitive salaries, career growth opportunities, and a supportive work environment to attract and retain top talent.”

6. 80/20 

80/20 is the principle given by the Pareto Principle, which indicates that 80% of the business’s outcomes come only from 20% of employees. It indicates that a few employees are responsible for most of your output. 

Marketing and advertising 

Marketing and advertising is a vast industry occupying different spheres, such as influencer marketing and social media marketing. Some commonly used corporate jargon examples for this industry include: 

7. Impressions 

Impressions refer to the number of times a potential customer has viewed the content, whether a social media post or an online advertisement. 

When attending marketing team meetings, it’s common to hear people say, “We need to analyze the impressions from our latest ad campaign to understand its reach and effectiveness.”

8. Key performance indicators (KPI)

After implementing a business strategy, the next step is to track the performance through KPIs. KPIs tell how effectively the team is achieving its business objectives. 

For example, “Our primary KPIs for this campaign include click-through and conversion rates, which will help us measure its success.”

9. Customer Journey 

The customer journey defines the customer’s experience with a company, from the customer’s initial interest in the company until the end of their relationship, aka renewing their subscription or buying the product again. It gives insight into every stage the customer goes through. 

Marketing managers often say, “Mapping the customer journey will help us identify pain points and improve the overall customer experience.”

10. A/B testing

A/B testing is a commonly used term for testing designs for web pages or advertisements. It compares two versions of a webpage or ad to determine which one performs better.

For example, “We’re conducting A/B testing on our landing pages to see which design yields a higher conversion rate.”

11. Lead generation 

Lead generation refers to building new leads/customers. You may hear this when the team focuses on attracting and capturing potential customers’ interest to grow your sales pipeline. 

This is often used when setting targets such as “Our goal this quarter is to boost lead generation by 30% through targeted social media advertising.”

12. Customer segmentation 

Customer segmentation is a term commonly used for personalized marketing and advertising. It divides a customer base into distinct groups based on characteristics like demographics, behavior, or purchasing patterns.

An everyday use case of this corporate jargon in the business world is “By implementing customer segmentation; we can create personalized email campaigns that cater to the specific interests and needs of each segment, leading to higher engagement rates.”

Information Technology (IT)

Business jargon is often used in the IT industry because it helps simplify and explain complex concepts and processes. We’ve defined a few recurring corporate jargon and agile-scrum terms in IT to make it easy for you to understand. 

13. Bandwidth 

When discussing network capacity or speed, tech people often use the word ‘bandwidth.’ It signifies the amount of data transmitted over a network in a given amount of time.

You might hear the IT head saying, “We need to upgrade our server because our current bandwidth can’t handle the increasing number of user requests.”

DevOps originates from the combination of two terms, software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops), to enhance the efficiency of the development and deployment process.

An example of using this term in the corporate world would be “Implementing DevOps practices has significantly reduced our time to market for new features.”

15. Application programming interface (API)

Whenever discussing software integration and development, the focus is often on API. API is a set of protocols and tools that allow different software applications to communicate with each other. 

A developer might state during software integration discussions, “The new API allows seamless interaction between our application and third-party services.”

16. Software prototype 

Software prototyping refers to creating early versions or models of a software application to visualize and test its design, functionality, and user interactions before full-scale development.

In the project kickoff meeting, the product manager might explain, “We will begin with software prototyping to ensure that our design meets user needs.”

17. Deployment 

Deployment is a step-by-step process that includes everything in setting up new software, from installation to testing. 

What does a programmer do? They “handle the deployment of new software for the company’s requirements.”

18. Cloud computing 

Cloud computing is a crucial aspect of digital IT infrastructure. In this method, remote servers on the Internet store, manage, and process data, eliminating the need for local servers or personal computers.

In the latest company update, the IT department may state, ‘We have adopted cloud computing to streamline our operations, improve scalability, and reduce costs associated with on-premises infrastructure.”

Finance and investment 

Whether you’re investing your money or working in the financial sector, you often encounter terms like ‘initial public offering,’ ‘quantitative easing,’ and ‘investment diversification.’ Let’s clarify these finance and investment corporate jargon for you.

19. Quantitative easing 

If there is economic deflation, a central bank injects money into the economy by purchasing government securities or other financial assets to increase the money supply, lower interest rates, and stimulate economic activity. This process is called quantitative easing.

You might encounter a statement issued by the central bank: “To address the economic slowdown, the central bank has initiated a quantitative easing program, purchasing substantial amounts of government securities to enhance liquidity and support economic growth.”

20. Initial public offering 

You’ll hear the term IPO flash in the news whenever a private company goes public. It refers to the process of listing a private company’s shares on a stock exchange to offer them to the public for the first time.

In its official press release, the company announced, “We are excited to move forward with our initial public offering (IPO), which will allow us to raise capital for expansion and enhance our market presence.”

21. Capital gains 

Calculating capital gains is essential when dealing with tax implications. Capital gains refer to the profit realized from the sale of an asset or investment when its selling price exceeds the purchase price.

If you were to consult a tax advisor, they might advise, “Capital gains from selling your shares will be subject to taxes, so be sure to factor that into your financial planning.”

22. Return on investment (ROI)

ROI is an acronym used to evaluate the profitability of an investment. It is calculated by dividing the net profit by the initial investment cost. This term is used whether you’re making individual stock market investments or business investments in software or new technology. 

When discussing project performance, the finance manager might report, “Our latest marketing campaign achieved a 25% ROI, indicating a strong return on our investment.”

23. Beta 

While investing in stocks, one often assesses the volatility concerning the market. This assessment is called beta, where a beta greater than 1 indicates higher volatility, while a beta less than 1 suggests lower volatility.

During a portfolio review, an investment analyst might explain, “The beta of this stock is 1.5, meaning it’s 50% more volatile than the market, which could impact your portfolio’s overall risk.”

24. Market capitalization 

Market capitalization is an often-used term for categorizing companies based on size or assessing their investment potential. It is the total market value of a company’s outstanding shares, calculated by multiplying the stock price by the number of shares.

At a shareholder meeting, the CEO might highlight, “Our company’s market capitalization has reached $10 billion, reflecting our strong performance and growth prospects.”

General examples of business jargon

While the examples above are industry-specific, standard corporate jargon terms are used across various industries and in daily operations. Let’s look at some of these terms so you don’t feel lost the next time someone mentions corporate jargon. 

25. Benchmarking 

Whether conducting competitor analysis or evaluating company performance, benchmarks are frequently established. Benchmarking is comparing a company’s performance metrics with industry standards or best practices to identify areas for improvement.

The project manager might say, “We have been benchmarking our processes against industry leaders to identify best practices and enhance our operational efficiency.”

26. Malware 

Malware is corporate jargon for software designed to harm, exploit, or otherwise compromise a computer system, network, or data. It includes viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, and ransomware. 

Suppose you were to ask a cybersecurity expert about recent incidents. In that case, they’d mention ‘malware’: “A major concern in our field is dealing with malware infections that can cripple our systems and data integrity.”

27. Firewall

A firewall is a network security device or software that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.

The network administrator might explain, “We need to configure the firewall to block unauthorized access while allowing legitimate traffic through.”

28. Touch base 

Instead of saying take a quick update, the business way of saying it is to touch base. It means briefly contacting or checking in with someone to update or discuss something.

You might hear the manager saying, “Let’s touch base next week to review our progress and address any issues that have come up.”

29. Core competency 

Core competency is the company’s key strength or USP that distinguishes it from others in the industry. This term is often used during strategic planning to focus on the area of expertise. 

For example, in an annual business strategy meeting, the COO might emphasize, “Our core competency in innovative technology solutions is what sets us apart from competitors and drives our growth.”

30. Pivot 

The word ‘pivot’ is used whenever a project requires changes in direction or approach. It means to make a significant change in strategy or direction to adapt to new circumstances or opportunities.

The CEO might use the following corporate lingo in a strategy session: “After the latest market research results, we need to pivot our marketing approach to better target younger audiences.”

Business jargon simplifies interacting with professionals in the same industry, but only if used carefully and correctly. A study conducted by Duolingo of more than 8,000 working professionals across eight countries revealed that 58% of people feel their coworkers overuse jargon. 

In addition, 60% of them also feel that they must figure out what this jargon means, which causes stress. 

Excessive and unclear use of corporate jargon can cause several communication problems and stress. Some of these commonly identified problems are: 

• The barrier to clear communication: It can become a barrier to clear conversations if your audience isn’t aware of your corporate speak. In such cases, rather than simplifying operations and communication, it makes them more complicated by creating a communication gap between those who understand jargon and those who don’t 
• Overuse and misinterpretation of jargon : Sometimes, jargon can make simple concepts and terms more difficult to understand than they already are. When misinterpreted, it can slow down business operations and obscure the intended message
• Risk of miscommunication and misunderstanding : Specialized terms have different meanings in different contexts. They can cause confusion, expose individuals to the risk of misunderstandings, and impact the quality of interactions 

Clear communication is essential for effective teamwork and successful project management in the corporate world. The more straightforward language used, the better.

While certain limitations are associated with using jargon, they can’t be altogether eliminated. Instead, you must use it in a way that minimizes the misuse. Here are some technical writing tips and management suggestions to gradually reduce reliance on business buzzwords: 

• Regularly seek feedback from team members regarding the clarity of communication and make adjustments as needed 
• Demonstrate the use of clear and straightforward language in meetings, emails, and documents to set a standard for the team
• Train employees on industry-specific terms to help them understand and adapt to the business jargon when necessary 

Role of ClickUp in clarifying business jargon 

Business jargon can lead to misunderstandings, especially when team members work in isolation. However, what if you could collaborate in real-time with your team, discussing tasks and priorities clearly without relying on complex jargon?

It’s possible with ClickUp , a project management software designed to enhance collaboration in the workplace .

ClickUp Chat 

ClickUp Chat view provides a real-time platform for connecting with team members, managers, and project stakeholders. This feature allows you to discuss tasks and projects without relying on jargon, ensuring that messages are clear and understood by everyone involved.

You can count on immediate feedback, thereby eliminating workspace communication challenges . In addition, you can engage in threaded conversations so the context of the messages is always clear to the receiver, and they can follow it without unrelated jargon. 

Use ClickUp Chat for one-on-one and group communication to improve clarity and facilitate simplified conversation. 

ClickUp Docs

Another powerful feature ClickUp extends is Docs, where teams can collaborate and connect in real time to avoid confusion based on corporate jargon. 

ClickUp Docs provides a shared space to centralize communication and collaboratively create, edit, and review documents in real time. It also allows everyone to contribute and clarify complex jargon. 

Pro Tip: You can also create a standard industry-specific terms glossary in Docs that team members can refer to when needed. 

ClickUp Whiteboards

Besides Docs, you can use ClickUp Whiteboards to present ideas visually for easier understanding. Add sticky notes and comments to clarify business buzzwords and provide detailed meaning or intention where necessary. 

Additionally, it supports editing by multiple users at once, so your idea can be refined collectively, and you can address and simplify jargon in real time. 

ClickUp Communication Plan Template 

Are you still struggling to organize and streamline your team’s communication flow, even with all these features? The ClickUp Communication Plan Template has you covered! 

It’s a comprehensive guide for organizing information sharing within an organization. It ensures that messaging is clear, consistent, and accessible to all team members. 

Key elements of the Communication Plan Template:

• Project details: Begin with basic project information: name, responsible person, contact details, and date
• Objectives: Clearly state the mission and goals to be achieved
• Executive summary: Provide a concise overview of business goals, project strengths and weaknesses, and execution techniques
• Analysis & research: Gather data and conduct research to understand the current business system for effective execution
• PEST analysis: Analyze external factors influencing the project: Political, Economic, Social, and Technological aspects
• SWOT analysis: Evaluate internal factors: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats to inform business decisions
• Competitor analysis: Compile and compare competitor information to assess competitive standing
• Stakeholder list: List stakeholders with their contact information, communication channels, and frequency of engagement
• Tools: Identify necessary tools to achieve project goals
• Communication plan: Detail the strategy by addressing what, when, and how to communicate
• Evaluation: Review the implemented system, gather team feedback, and evaluate the strategy’s strengths and weaknesses

With this communication plan template , you can: 

• Ensure straightforward communication, reducing the likelihood of jargon-filled or confusing messages
• Tailor communication strategies to different groups, ensuring that jargon is minimized and messages are adapted to the audience’s level of understanding
• Outline core messages and talking points to distill complex information into clear, concise statements

Business jargon can convey a lot of information in just a few words, but it can be confusing if your audience isn’t familiar with the terms. Remember, clear communication is essential for an organization’s success. Therefore, it’s important to minimize jargon and use it in a way that ensures your message is understood.

A project management and workplace communication tool such as ClickUp can facilitate clear communication through its collaborative and real-time communication features, such as Chat, Documents, and Whiteboards. It minimizes the possibility of confusion by providing channels for quick clarification and adding notes. 

Sign up for ClickUp today and wipe out misunderstandings from your team communications. 

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Whether talking about a recent news story, how you meet targets in your weekend job, or simply why you want to study business at uni, that spark of genuine motivation and enthusiasm will get you noticed. That's what business admissions tutors told us when we asked them what they look for – and here are some more of their top tips.

Find out everything you need to know about writing your personal statement , including how to write a killer opening and our top tips.

A spot-on business personal statement – in a nutshell

Dr Pam Croney, admissions tutor at Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University, is especially looking for evidence of:

• an independent learner
• a thinker and doer
• an innovator or potential entrepreneur
• a good communicator who likes giving presentations
• an interest in what's happening out there in the business world

Can you demonstrate any of these?

She also likes it when applicants give their own views on a topical issue, like why you think a particular company crashed, what sparked the revival of a vintage brand, or whatever else gets you fired up. Admissions tutors love to know what you’re genuinely enthusiastic about!

What business and management tutors are looking for

• Structure and organisation: to study management, you need to demonstrate that you are capable of managing yourself. Your personal statement needs to be structured, organised, and free of spelling or grammatical errors.
• First impressions count: Sue Blything-Smith, Business and Management Admissions Tutor from University Campus Suffolk, says 'you should aim to be unique and original and provide a good opening line that reveals something about your aptitude and enthusiasm’. She really likes to see statements that demonstrate personality and flair but don't go too over the top: keep it formal and remain objective.
• Examples of your relevant skills: Sue is also impressed by applicants who describe situations where they’ve demonstrated relevant skills like good communication or teamwork, problem-solving, initiative, leadership, or achieving goals.
• Research the course: London School of Economics is keen to know things like why you want to study management, what specific aspects of their course interest you, how it relates to your academic studies, and what additional reading or other activities have led you to apply.
• Entrepreneurial flair: Bournemouth likes its business studies applicants to show they are 'self-starters' who enjoy identifying and solving business problems.

Making your business experience count

It’s not just what you've done but how you've reflected on it. If you work-shadowed the CEO of a multi-national company, that's great, but it will have zero impact unless you spell out what you personally gained from it.

Similarly, if your part-time supermarket job or role in a Young Enterprise programme has helped you develop your skills and confidence, that’s great too. But it will only have an impact on your statement if you explain how or give an actual example.

It's the "how" that brings your statement to life and makes it interesting and personal. So try to think of specific occasions or unique ways you have demonstrated your potential, or maybe something you've observed about customer behaviour, management styles or an effective (or ineffective) marketing campaign.

It's even better if you can then link it to something you've learned in your business, economics, or psychology studies, or read in the Financial Times, The Economist, or on the BBC website.

Or consider the transferable skills you've gained through extracurricular activities and how they can show what the University of Bath describes as 'an active interest in understanding people, work, and organisations'.

Check out our guide to business, management, and administrative studies  to find out what courses are available, areas of employment, and where to find out more about careers.

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The Ultimate List of Business Buzzwords and Their True Definitions

Bluleadz Marketing | September 9, 2019 | Business Growth | 10 min read

Quick Links

• 1.   Marketing Buzzwords
• 2.   Sales Buzzwords
• 3.   Service Buzzwords
• 4.   Social Media Buzzwords
• 5.   Millennial Buzzwords

The Most Common Business Buzzwords

• 1.  Advertainment
• 2.  Big Data
• 3.  Content Is King
• 4.  Customer Journey
• 5.  Deep Dive
• 6.  Growth Hacking
• 7.  Hyperlocal
• 8.  Low Hanging Fruit
• 9.  -Jacking
• 10.  Move the Needle
• 11.  Retargeting
• 12.  Alignment
• 13.  Disruptor/Disruptive
• 14.  Freemium
• 15.  Leverage
• 16.  Quick Win
• 17.  Quota
• 18.  Value Add
• 19.  Wheelhouse
• 20.  Customer Acquisition
• 21.  Customer-Centric/Customer Centricity
• 22.  Customer Lifecycle
• 23.  Customer Retention
• 24.  Personalization
• 25.  Touchpoint
• 26.  Voice of the Customer
• 27.  Clickbait
• 28.  Earned Media
• 29.  Live Streaming
• 30.  Micro-Influencer
• 31.  User-Generated Content (UGC)
• 32.  FOMO
• 33.  Lit
• 34.  Spilling Tea
• 35.  TL;DR

You know when you're having a conversation with someone, and they begin to blurt out a bunch of crazy, jargon-like words and phrases at you as if you're supposed to know what they mean?

Funny story, because this just happened to my boss when listening to a voicemail from our internet service provider. The amount of terms that went over our heads made the entire voicemail useless.

Honestly, this probably happens more often than not.

When starting a job, working with clients, or in other business settings, you're sure to hear at least one "buzzword," and they'll buzz in your head. (I had to make one joke about it, okay?)

What Are Buzzwords?

Buzzwords are terms and phrases that sound impressive, cool, or even exciting, but not everyone always understands the definition of them.

Buzzwords can either be cringe-worthy, overused, or irrelevant, or they can be valuable and have merit. Ultimately, there are a lot of buzzwords in the business world – especially in marketing, sales, and service.

Why Is Understanding Buzzwords Important?

Like it or not, we’ve all thrown out a buzzword here and there when talking to a friend, coworker, or boss. Corporate speak can be both a valuable skill and something that causes your colleagues to roll their eyes, or even LOL.

Business buzzwords, for good or ill, are a part of corporate life. While some buzzwords are useful at certain times, for example when marketing or selling, others are fillers or just lazy language.

All that being said, we've compiled the ultimate list of business buzzwords relating to marketing, sales, service, and even social media and millennial marketing . Take notes!

Need help to learn the buzzwords behind inbound marketing and apply best practices to your website? Reach out to Bluleadz to get started!

List of marketing buzzwords.

The marketing world is stuffed with buzzwords, both good and bad. Here are some top marketing buzzwords you should know.

Advertainment

This is a marketing term that means advertising that doubles as entertainment. Advertainment is often a blurring of the line between product promotion and media entertainment.

Remember Red Bull's Stratos Space Jump? That was advertainment.

The massive collection of structured and unstructured data is often difficult to process through traditional means. Data collected from mobile, web browsing, voice data, etc.

Content Is King

Coined by Bill Gates himself, this catchphrase has been thrown around in almost every marketing blog out there.

Basically, the phrase refers to the idea that it's important to have a content strategy and publish quality content for your audience in order to succeed in digital marketing.

Customer Journey

A documented list of experiences that a customer will go through when interacting with a company. To better understand the customer journey of your own customers, you might wish to develop a customer journey map .

Otherwise known as brainstorming, this one is used by professionals as in “We're going for a deep dive on the Parson's account.”

Growth Hacking

Refers to bootstrap marketing strategies utilized by businesses with small budgets, startups, and new businesses. Growth hacking consists of free marketing methods like blogging, social media, SEO, and content marketing.

Hyperlocal search uses GPS data to geographically target audiences and provide location-based advertising.

Hyperlocal SEO is optimizing your online content to reflect your location using street address, neighborhood information, proximity to local landmarks, and even longitude and latitude to pinpoint searchers to your physical location.

Low Hanging Fruit

An obvious, easily attainable "win" you have to grab. While you always want to grab the brass ring, sometimes you can't neglect the easy score.

Jacking is the process of commandeering content for your own marketing purposes. Examples include news-jacking , where writers cover a breaking story to further their personal agenda. Meme-jacking is a corporate takeover of a popular meme to market their product or service.

Move the Needle

The phrase “move the needle” is used often in sales and marketing when effort is required to make a noticeable difference.

Retargeting

The practice of putting product or service ads in front of people who were on your site earlier but didn't purchase from you. It's a great way to bring people back to your site.

List of Sales Buzzwords

Mostly related to smarketing , or sales and marketing alignment. The act of breaking down silos between different teams in an organization to work toward the same goals and be more efficient as one working team.

Disruptor/Disruptive

Something that “rocks the boat;” It's a game changer, a unique product or service whose innovation throws the status quo off kilter.

A strategy where the “basic” version of a product is offered free of charge. Extra functionality requires an upgrade to a premium version. Examples include Wordpress, Mailchimp, and Hootsuite. This is also used frequently by mobile games.

When one person has an advantage over another. Additionally, this term can be used when referring to taking advantage of a great opportunity or using a feature/product to its full extent.

An example of this in a sentence would be, "In order to make the most out of HubSpot's Marketing Hub, you should be leveraging HubSpot's CRM capabilities."

Similar to low hanging fruit, a quick win is just as it sounds: something that can be accomplished that doesn't require a lot of resources or work but could have high impact on your business.

A target that sales reps try to reach over a certain period of time, often on a monthly or quarterly basis. A quota can be measured in both dollar amount or in number of deals closed.

A positive impact you add to a product or company. For example, “Did the client respond positively to the value add at the pitch?”

In boating, a wheelhouse shelters the person driving the boat. In business, the term “wheelhouse” is used to describe a person’s or company’s specialty. For example, inbound marketing is Bluleadz's wheelhouse.

List of Service Buzzwords

Customer Acquisition

A term used to define the act of winning over a customer as you "acquire" new business. This process involves persuading prospects to pay for your product or service through strategies like customer referral programs, search engine marketing, and digital advertising. 

Customer-Centric/Customer Centricity

A business approach that prioritizes positive customer experience as the core company philosophy.  Customer-centric companies prioritize the needs of their customers to deliver complete, long term solutions.

Customer Lifecycle

A customer lifecycle outlines the stages a prospect goes through before, during, and after completing a transaction with a company. Number of stages can vary depending on your business and industry.

Customer Retention

Customer retention is the ability to keep customers with your business and encourage them to repeat a purchase or service.

Retention rate can be measured by subtracting the number of customers you ended with (after a certain period of time) by the number of acquired customers. Divide that total by the number of customers you started with, and multiply the new total by 100.

Personalization

The method of using a customer's name, sending relevant content, or marketing based on interests or behaviors to deliver a tailored marketing experience to each prospect or customer. Using personalization in marketing, sales, and service can help create a unique journey for everyone who comes through the "doors."

One moment that a prospect or customer has with your business. Examples of touchpoints include phone calls, emails, and live chat messaging .

Voice of the Customer

A research method that companies use to identify a gap between customer expectations and the actual experience they have with their business. Voice of the customer (VoC) considers everything said about the product, service, and overall business to better understand the needs of customers.

Other Important Business Buzzwords to Know

Social media buzzwords.

Headlines crafted for the purpose of driving clicks. Clickbait captures an audience by providing mystery, but the content is typically subpar, making this one of the negative business buzzwords.

Earned Media

Media you don't pay for and can be cost-effective for business growth . This includes social mentions, social shares, recommendations, and reviews.

Live Streaming

Facebook Live, Instagram Live Stories, and Twitter Live had made live streaming very popular among social media users. Live streaming is when someone films a real-time video on social media, which engages a live audience.

Micro-Influencer

Someone on social media with anywhere between 1,000 and 10,000 followers. Micro-influencers are typically well-known in their niche and have high rates of audience engagement.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

Any form of media, like photos, videos, and text, that is posted to an online platform or social media by a user.

Incorporating UGC into your social media marketing is a great way to provide social proof to your audience and highlight your products/services being used by actual people.

Millennial Buzzwords

Like it or not, millennials have come up with all sorts of slang buzzwords that you might want to use in your marketing efforts.

Acronym standing for "fear of missing out." This buzzword can be used in terms of sales, deals, events, and more.

Something that is cool, turned up, or exciting is considered "lit."

Spilling Tea

A phrase used when someone is sharing secrets or gossiping about something.

An acronym standing for "too long; didn't read." Basically, it's a sort of disclaimer for readers who don't want to read something because it looks too long.

Incorporating TL;DR elements into your marketing and sales content can help quickly summarize your main points for people who don't have the time to read an entire message.

Using Buzzwords Right Can Create Buzz Around Your Business

(Ok, just one final buzz-related joke, I promise.)

Believe it or not, this is just a small sampling of buzzwords relating to the marketing industry. Every industry and profession from sales and marketing, to finance, healthcare, and the auto industry has their own specific jargon and business buzzwords. 

Today, whether you're pitching a new product or networking in your industry, business buzzwords can give you an aura of being more reputable if you use the right terminology in the proper context.

General FAQ

What is a buzzword.

A buzzword is a term and phrase that sounds impressive, cool, or even exciting, but not everyone always understands the definition of it.

Buzzwords can either be cringe-worthy, overused, or irrelevant, or they can be valuable and have merit.

What Are Common Buzzwords in Marketing?

Some of the most common buzzwords in marketing are: content is king, big data, growth hacking, move the needle, and retargeting.

What Buzzwords Are Used in Sales?

You hear a lot of sales buzzwords without even realizing it. Some of the most common sales buzzwords include: freemium, leverage, quick win, wheelhouse, and quota.

What Are Customer Service Buzzwords?

Some popular customer service buzzwords include customer lifecycle, customer retention, customer centricity, touchpoint, and voice of the customer.

Baylor Cherry

Baylor is an inbound specialist for Bluleadz. As a native Floridian, she enjoys soaking up the Florida sun, buying clothes she can’t afford, and dreaming about one day owning a dachshund.

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