Picture this. You meet someone new. "What do you do?" she asks.

设想一下这个场景：你新认识一个朋友。“你是干什么的?”她问。

"I'm an architect," you say.

“我是一名建筑师。”你回答。

"Oh, really?" she answers. "Have you designed any buildings I've seen?"

“哦，是吗?那你设计过哪些建筑?或许我也听说过呢?”

"Possibly," you reply. "We did the new student center at the university..."

“呃，我们以前负责过一所大学的文体中心……”

"Oh wow," she says. "That's a beautiful building..."

“哦，那肯定很漂亮吧……”她说。

Without trying -- without blowing your own horn -- you've made a great impression.

如此这般，你毫不费力就给她留下了好印象。

Now picture this. You meet someone new. "What do you do?" he asks.

再设想另一个场景：你新认识一个朋友。“你是干什么的?”他问。

"I'm a passionate¹, innovative², dynamic provider of architectural services with a collaborative approach to creating and delivering outstanding world-class client and user experiences."

“我是一个充满激情、有创意有活力的建筑供应商，具备挖掘和提供卓越一流的客户与用户的经验。”

Do you describe yourself differently – on your website, promotional materials, or especially on social media – than you do in person? Do you use cheesy clichés and overblown superlatives and breathless adjectives?

你对自己的描述，在网站、自我推销资料或社交媒体上，是否跟当面聊天的完全不同?你是不是也一直在用那些陈词滥调、夸大其词、华丽丽的形容词?

Do you write things about yourself you would never have the nerve to actually say?

你所写的那些东西，要是让你直接说出来，你是否连勇气都没有?

Here are some words that are great when other people use them to describe you – but you should never use to describe yourself:

下面这些词语，别人可以拿来夸赞你，但你自己千万要避免使用：

1. "Innovative." Most companies claim to be innovative. Most people claim to be innovative. Most are, however, not. That's okay, because innovation isn't a requirement for success.

1. “富有创意”。大部分公司都自称有创意，人也不例外。但其实很多人并没有创意。而且，有没有创意并不是很重要，成功又不一定非靠它不可。

If you are innovative, don't say it. Prove it. Describe the products you've developed. Describe the processes you've modified.

如果你真有创意，不要嘴上夸夸其谈，拿出证据来吧。何不谈谈你曾开发的某个产品或你整顿的某个流程呢?

Give us something real so your innovation is unspoken but evident... which is always the best kind of innovative to be.

拿出真材实料，不用你说人们也能看出你有创意。而且，真正意义上的创意也莫不如此。

2. "World-class." Usain Bolt: world-class sprinter³, Olympic medals to prove it. Lionel Messi: world-class soccer player, four Ballon d'Or trophies⁴ to prove it. But what is a world-class professional or company? Who defines world-class? In your case, probably just you.

2. “世界一流”。尤塞恩-博尔特是世界级短跑运动员，奥运金牌可以为证;里奥内尔-梅西是世界级足球运动员，四个金球奖杯可以为证。但是，什么样的职业或企业才能称得上“世界级”呢?这个“世界一流”又该如何定义?你若自夸 “世界一流”，那未免太一厢情愿了吧。

3. "Authority." Like Margaret Thatcher⁵ said, "Power is like being a lady; if you have to say you are, you aren't." Show your expertise⁶ instead.

3. “权威”。正如玛格丽特-撒切尔所言：“权力就像淑女，如果你囔囔自己是淑女，那你肯定不是。”不如拿出真本领。

4. "Results oriented." Really? Some people actually focus on doing what they are paid to do? We had no idea.

4. “注重结果”。真的吗?真有人一心专注于自己的分内之事?没人知道答案。

5. "Incredibly..." Check out some random⁷ bios and you'll find plenty of further-modified descriptors: "Incredibly passionate," "profoundly insightful," "extremely captivating..." isn't it enough to be insightful or captivating? Do you have to be profoundly insightful? If you must use over-the-top adjectives, spare us the further modification⁸. Trust that we already get it.

5. “超凡……”。随机抽几份简历，你会发现满眼都是什么“超凡激情”、“深刻见解”、“卓然魅力”……有见解或有魅力还不够么?你非得刻意强调一下?如果你必须用这类华丽辞藻，那先请用对词语吧，何必噜苏重复!

6. "Motivated." Check out Chris Rock's response to people who say they take care of their kids. Then substitute words like "motivated." Never take credit for things you are supposed to do – or supposed to be.

6. ”动力十足”。克里斯-洛克认为，需要养家糊口的人经常挂在嘴边的便是“有动力”。永远不要把你应该做的事当作“动力”。

7. "Creative." See particular words often enough and they no longer make an impact. "Creative" is one of them. "Creative" is just one example. Others include extensive, effective, proven, influential⁹, team player... some of those terms may truly describe you, but since they are also being used to describe everyone they've lost their impact.

7. “有创造力”。有亮点的词看多了也会变得索然无味。“有创造力”便是这种词。除了“有创造力”，其他像宽容博大、有效率、经验证、有影响力、有团队合作精神等表达，也俗不可耐。当然，或许你真具备这些素质，但这些词真的快老掉牙了。

8. "Dynamic." If you are "vigorously active and forceful," um, stay away.

8. “充满活力”。如果你真的“精力旺盛、干劲十足”，那么还是打住吧。

9. "Passionate." I know many people disagree, but if you say you're incredibly passionate about, oh, incorporating elegant design aesthetics¹¹ into everyday objects, to me you sound over the top.

9. “充满激情”。我相信很多人对此有异议。但如果你说，你非常热衷将构件设计美学融入日常物件中，那我觉得你未免夸张了些。

The same is true if you're passionate about developing long-term customer solutions. Try the words focus, concentration, or specialization instead. Or try "love," as in, "I love incorporating an elegant design aesthetic¹⁰ in everyday objects." For whatever reason, that works for me. Passion doesn't.

同理，你也不可能一直热衷于研究客户问题长期解决方案。所以，不如用“专注”、“集中”或“专门从事”比较妥帖些。“喜欢”一词也可以, 比如“我喜欢将构件设计美学应用到日常物品中”，对我来说就很中听，而“激情”一词在我看来就很矫情。

10. "Unique." Fingerprints¹² are unique. Snowflakes are unique. You are unique – but your business probably isn't. That’s fine, because customers don't care about unique; they care about "better." Show you're better than the competition and in the minds of your customers you will be unique.

10. “独一无二”。指纹是独一无二的，雪花也是。当然，你也独一无二——但你的职业不是。不过这也无妨大碍，因为客户看中的是“更好”而不是“独特”。只有当你比同类竞争者更优秀，你在客户眼里才“独一无二”。