‘Nuff said!
When was the last time you thought about what it means to have a good headshot? With the pervasiveness of social media profiles and their rapidly increasing importance for job seekers, having the appropriate photo to represent yourself is very important. If you’re on LinkedIn, it’s well and truly expected. Having a photo shows you’re for real and establishes your social media credibility. And as they say, first impressions mean everything, and often our first impression is often a visual one.
But taking a step back for a sec, if you’re not on LinkedIn and looking to promote yourself to prospective employers — be it as a consultant, or consultancy — then you should definitely think about getting a hurry-along and putting yourself on there. More and more companies are skipping the traditional job listings and going straight to this media. Maybe you need to update your CV or resume? We can help you with this.
Your profile photo on LinkedIn is very important. Did you know that profiles with pictures attract 50-70 percent more inquiries than profiles without pictures? That is reason enough to get you in front of a camera!
10 tips for your LinkedIn photo:
1. Use a current photo. It’s pretty bad to meet someone for the first time and not recognise them because their photo was so old they no longer look anything like it!
2. Use a photo of YOU! Not an inanimate object. Or your pet (yes, it happens).
3. Include your head and shoulders rather than just a photo of your head.
4. Smile rather than looking serious. It makes you look approachable.
5. Wear a colour that complements you. Avoid anything that is too bright or patterns that distract. Black and white are usually pretty safe, but you don’t have to be limited to these.
6. Don’t feature other people in your photos (and be careful how you crop other people out — there should not be any errant body parts in your LinkedIn photo!)
7. Make sure the background in the photo isn’t distracting. Don’t include pictures of you taken at a party or wedding. Or with your pet.
8. Look directly at the camera, rather than side on or on an angle.
9. Take multiple shots and ask people their opinion on which one makes you seem most ‘approachable.’ Ask them which one they’d most want to employ.
10. And don’t include a photo of your pet!
