What I took from the article is that you need to be careful using those words if you can't back them up. The example they use about saying "Ten years experience" as opposed to "Extensive experience" made a lot of sense to me.
Katie,
I would have thought it was quite obvious what 10 years' experience is compared to 18 months...that's why we add such information to CVs and application forms. Anyone reading those documents would be able to differentiate between that information...
eg. I have extensive experience as a PA having spent the past 20 years working in both the public and private sectors.
I don't believe these words should be avoided.
