When I joined the Great Resignation in April 2022, my LinkedIn persona became a sounding board. Each time I tweaked my resume, my focus sharpened.
Once I decided I was transitioning from community wellness toward office support, I wanted to upgrade my image, from me in a blue Panama hat to business casual attire — what most office workers wear post-pandemic.
So I enlisted my cousin, a professional photographer, to snap a few free shots for me with her good camera. Since I was still testing possibilities on the LinkedIn “lab,” I didn’t want to spend much time or money — yet — until I had a better sense of where I was headed.
By the way, I love the picture she took on Thanksgiving when the sunset was soft and flattering. In five minutes, she produced what she describes as “a clear, concise headshot with excellent color correction and a small amount of wrinkle lightening. Not removal, just a freshening.”
I look like myself, how I appear in offices where I temp. I wore my favorite shirt, a printed green blouse I can dress up with a blazer or down with jeans.
“You’d probably be skeptical of an auto-mechanic that is wearing a 3-piece suit," Chris Wooly writes here on LinkedIn." And perhaps even more skeptical of a CEO that is wearing a casual well-worn hoodie. We want all the tiny details of a message we send to have unity.”
So I had the right idea of dressing for the job I want. Unfortunately, my busy floral top competes with the leafy background behind me. Yikes. And LinkedIn’s #opentowork banner is emerald-colored, perfect for employment in the Land of Oz — but maybe not for Planet Earth.
To my credit, I didn’t hold up my phone selfie-style or do a reverse snap in the mirror, two things my cousin says you should never do for career-related content.
But did that little profile circle really matter?
According to LinkedIn research, just having a picture makes a profile 14 times more likely to be viewed by others.
So yeah. Any image matters. Good ones matter more.
Matthew Hunt, a Canadian social media producer, went so far as to have 160 strangers evaluate his various headshots. By crowdsourcing, he knew to steer toward clean-shaven business casual, with a smile. Feedback is so important that he uses Photofeeler.com when he creates content for busy CEOs.
(I sent my own pic into Photofeeler a week ago and will let you know the results.)
I’m here on LinkedIn a lot. That makes me a profile picture “expert,” accidental and self-proclaimed. Here’s my expert advice regarding profile snaps:
Bad photos abound. Many professional people make poor decisions. LinkedIn members are just people after all, and we’re all trying really hard. Yet, my favorite bad photos are vacation snaps or passport-style against putty-colored backgrounds. They make me giggle.
My other favorite is extreme closeups. Content marketer Lydia Abbot says your face should take up 60% of the frame. If you take up more, heads look huge. Imagine conversing with a “close talker.” Or suddenly swimming toward Jaws. Your picture should not cause your viewers to have a sudden rush of cortisol.
Pay for a photographer. My cousin, who lives in Fort Wayne, Ind., — one of America’s most affordable cities — usually charges $100 for a basic headshot and $200 for a portrait session.
“Pay the money,” she says. “But if you absolutely must, get a tripod and use a timer for the camera or have a friend or family member take the photo. Other helpful tips would be to find shade later in the day, it evens out the light and softens the features. Learn to use the simple editing features on your phone. DO NOT [she spoke this in all caps] use Facetune, you are not a cartoon character!”
Look behind you. I love the blurred bokeh effect, a Japanese technique that makes the subject stand out against a painterly field, one I can link to the person. For instance, if a job seeker works in a major city, I love seeing buildings or the hint of traffic in the background. Any more than that, and I’m distracted.
“Find a simple or plain background,” my cousin says. “If you are in a creative field, you can go a little edgy. Graffiti or murals are a nice, colorful backdrop!”
Keep evaluating. Once you get your snap, live with your new depiction for a while. See how your look is received. Then start planning the next portrait for the near or distant future.
As part of my audit, I offer a sacred vow: I hereby promise in my next LinkedIn shoot that I won’t wear a printed shirt that matches the tree behind me.
I’ll keep trying new things. I’m still experimenting after all.
I am a temporary office manager/communications professional seeking employment in a corporate, non-profit, or academic setting.