A note on buzzwords

What's wrong with the following job description?

"Rockstar Software Developer wanted: Must have a killer portfolio and open source project experience. Are you a code ninja with a take-no-prisoners attitude? Then we want to hire you!"

"Rockstar", "ninja", "killer", "take-no-prisoners"... kind of violent, isn't it? This is a contrived example, but there's a definite trend amongst smaller companies and up-and-coming startups to overuse buzzwords like these to communicate a sense that they have a fun, youthful, or innovative culture and are looking for fitting candidates.

Do you really want to hire a destructive, self-centered rockstar? A ninja who operates outside of the team? Probably not! It's best to clearly communicate what you actually want in an employee rather than relying on buzzwords to hopefully do it for you.

Don't prematurely limit your candidate pool—be clear about who you're looking for without using buzzwords.