Do you plan on updating, or creating your LinkedIn profile? Need a professional headshot of yourself to complement your skill set?
Taking the perfect profile photo requires you to spend time preparing for your headshot. For a professional photo, a headshot is great for making your profile personable. It also makes it easier for an employer or colleagues to distinguish who you are. You want everyone who’s looking at your public profile to view you as someone they’d want to connect with.
Think of the following tips to consider:
- Plan the appropriate colors you should be wearing, based on the industry you’re in or are applying to. Are you in a more conservative industry, which requires you to dress business formal? Or are you in a more liberal industry, where you can experiment with your attire?
- Keep it simple: wear a neutral colored suit. If you’re in a more creative industry, experiment with changing up your accessories: your tie (if you’re a man) and jewelry (if you’re a woman).
- Style your hair so that it’s simple and frames your face. Keep makeup to a minimum; have it done as a “natural” look.
- In addition to your hair, your facial expression also sets up the tone of your photo. Your smile (showing teeth) should be the highlight of the photo, making you appear pleasant and approachable.
- Wear glasses to add a touch of professionalism to who you are. Glasses can help make a person look smarter.
- Two important factors of your photo are your background and the angle at which you face the camera. Opt for a background with a solid neutral color, like gray. Always face toward the camera and smile, with your shoulder turned slightly at the recommended angle of 45 degrees, Keep the camera propped higher than eye level.
Your profile photo represents you as a person, and it’s important to be aware of your appearance. Small details can make the difference in how people view you. As the common phrase goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
