“Anything that looks amateur or DIY can be a turn-off for recruiters.” These days, you can take a high-quality picture with most phone cameras in a bright room against a neutral background. Mallory suggests always using a professional headshot that offers a clear, well-lit view of your face.

“However, across all industries, a clear, well-lit photo is the minimum standard of a good headshot,” she says.įinally, the image should be high quality. Lindberg does concede that those in the arts, design, or fashion can potentially break away from the typical ‘business professional’ standards of wearing neutral groomed hair, makeup, and formal clothing. “LinkedIn is not Facebook, so the profile picture needs to be business-related,” Kubiak states. While you may want to have your personality come through, the picture should still be business focused according to Maciej Kubiak, Head of People at PhotoAiD. “There’s a delicate balance having a profile picture that represents your character or personality while still maintaining some professionalism,” says Trent Cotton, senior global director of talent acquisition at Hatchworks. Third, your headshot should feel professional. The photo should ideally not be cropped from another photo because it rarely conveys the same level of professionalism as a solo headshot from the shoulders up. “Avoid using full-body shots or a photo that looks like a selfie or includes a cluttered or busy background,” says Stacey Mallory, managing director at Altis Recruitment. Second, the photo should be an actual headshot. “Real accounts are likely to have their background images personalized without stock photos,” Lindberg says. She says that when a headshot is missing, some employers may question if a real person is behind a profile.Įmma Lindberg, recruiting manager at IT staffing agency Advantis Global agrees that headshots make a big difference to recruiters trying to differentiate between real and fake accounts. “The absence of a photo on LinkedIn in some cases can cause distrust for a particular account,” says Oleksandra Syzonets, a recruiter at Reply.io. The lack of a profile photo tends to create a negative impression with recruiters.

You should absolutely include your face on your profile.

First, upload a current picture of yourself.

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