In these times of uncertainty, online representation is getting more and more important. An essential platform to realize this, is LinkedIn. It’s THE way to network during these times and it’s actually your online resume. Companies and recruiters want to know who they are dealing with and therefore a first impression can be made through your profile picture! A few choices you make for this photo play an important role. How do you make a good first impression with your profile picture?
- Smile!
A lot of people think that a photo where you’re smiling is unprofessional. However, the opposite is true. It actually gives you a friendly look and it makes you seem like a warm person. The smile should be subtle though, it is logically not professional to nicker on your LinkedIn profile picture. This is where the boundary between professional and unprofessional is located.
- Show your face
During the time that the picture is taken, act like the camera is a person you’re speaking to. You don’t actually have to talk to it of course (please don’t, because that will ruin the photo haha), but this means that you will look right at the camera. Also make sure that you’re not too far away from the camera, because when you would be talking to someone, you wouldn’t be meters away as well.
- Quality
Make sure that your photo is of good quality and zooming in is therefore a no-go. This makes the pixels bigger and then it will not look like you actually put some effort in the making of your profile picture. This became clear out of this professor’s research and expertise. The clarity/lightning in your picture should also be good. A darker photo makes your face less visible and this can have negative effects. On the other hand, the photo should also not be too light.
- Background
Your background should not take away the attention from you, so it should not be too busy. You can think of using one color, and no, this does not have to be black or white. It can also be a nice color that tells something about you! Another option is taking a peaceful setting as a background, for example a big building or you could think of some nature as well.
- It’s all about you
No other people than you should be in the picture. Companies/recruiters should know what person is behind the profile. Don’t cut yourself out of group photos, because that way it appears that you put noeffort into actually making a good photo for your LinkedIn profile.
- Clothing
You don’t have to wear a business suit immediately, but you have to make sure that you’re dressed neatly. For women this could be a blouse or blazer for example and for men this could be a business shirt (not necessarily with a tie, that’s up to you and depends on the branche you’re in!)
- Recent
Assure that you still look like the person in the picture. Imagine being invited for an application and you look totally different from your photo, that will unconsciously take away a piece of trust immediately. Keep it up-to-date!