6 Tips for a Perfect LinkedIn Profile Photo

6 Tips for a Perfect LinkedIn Profile Photo 6 Tips for a Perfect LinkedIn Profile Photo Having a LinkedIn profile pictureis by far one of the most important elements in having an attractive LinkedIn. From personal experience, I can tell you that your LinkedIn profile is about 10 times more likely to receive a clickif you have a LinkedIn profile picturewhencompared to the person without one. Don’t worry. This shouldn’t cost you a penny. You can either browse through your existing photos with the below recommendations in mind or take a new picture. A friend or family member can take the perfect LinkedIn photofor you in just a couple minutes. Before you go find your cameraman/woman, there are a few things that you need to know. 1. Sanity within your smile Please do not have a frown or angry expression. No recruiter will call you if you look like scary or mean person to talk toin your LinkedIn profile picture. This is also true for overly happy people or someone who is laughing in their LinkedIn photo. Studies have proven that people with too large of a smile either come off as fake or deranged. Please don’t look like the Joker. No one wants to hire someone who looks angry, insane, or dishonest. Take way deep breath and relax. An upward slanting, moderately happy smile will do. 2. Dress for the job Find out what the average person in your industry wears to workand dress accordingly. If you know that you will need to wear a suit to work, then don’t wear a t-shirt in your LinkedIn profile photo. Remember, it is better to overdress than underdress. To put it another way, it is better to show a lot of effort than none at all. Even if you are in a startup environment with casual dress attire, it can’t hurt to throw on a button-up for your LinkedIn photo. It’s good to rememberthatthis is a professional network and you never know what opportunities might find you. 3. Shoulders up Men and women,respect yourselves and crop your LinkedIn profile photoappropriately. The photo should focus on your face, above the chest line but wedefinitely recommended to include the shoulders. A straight shot of your face can be a little bit overwhelming. You want to have the camera positioned far enough where there is some space to see the background. I would recommend your face taking up about 60-70% of the entire frame. Speaking of background... 4. Subtle background Your background should either have a reallybasic surface or be unfocused. If too much is going on behind you, it could cause adistraction to the viewers. Why would you let your profile picture background steal your thunder, anyways? Recruiters and hiring managers are going to be looking at your LinkedIn profile for more about you! The focus should be on your face! 5. Let there be light You can have the right posture, the right clothes, the right angle, but bad lighting can ruin it all. Different lighting can present different problems: Not enough light and no one can see your face. Using a flash in a dark room will make your face look plain strange. Too much light and all of the color is washed out from the picture all together. Our suggestion? If at all possible, use natural lighting. Some advantages to natural lighting include: No unnecessary shadows. Will add natural color to your skin. Unlike artificial lighting, natural light requires no adjusting. 6. Choose a recent photo Make sure to set realistic expectations for whoever is viewing your profile. If you are looking for a job and you are in your mid forties, don’tadd a photo of yourself from your twenties. Youcan guarantee that you will losetrust with the interviewer and you will not get the job. Be honest andupfront. Find a recent picture or take a new one. Some things to remember You act differently with your friends and at home than you do at work, right? (Well,we hope you do.) This isn’t any different. Remeber, your LinkedIn profile isn’t the same as your Facebook profile or most other social media for that matter. Your LinkedIn profile picture isn’t the space to how yourself partying, swimming, or your usual wacky personality. This is where you show recruiters and hiring managers your best professional self. It’s as easy as having good lighting, good posture, the right clothes, and a nice smile. Keep these tips in mind, and there’s no reason you can’t set your best foot forward. Now that you know the sixmost important tips for a great LinkedIn photo, grab your camera or go through your pictures and get started. You are going to notice an immediate increase in profile views once you do this. Good luck! Bonus: keep improving your LinkedIn profile A well-shot LinkedIn profile picturewill definietly leave anyone who views your LinkedIn profile with a good first impression. However, a good profile picture can only get you so far. The content on your profile also needs to do some heavy lifting. For more ways to improve your LinkedIn profile, check out the19 Essential LinkedIn Profile Tips for Job Seekers. 6 Tips for a Perfect LinkedIn Profile Photo Having a LinkedIn profile pictureis by far one of the most important elements in having an attractive LinkedIn. From personal experience, I can tell you that your LinkedIn profile is about 10 times more likely to receive a clickif you have a LinkedIn profile picturewhencompared to the person without one. Don’t worry. This shouldn’t cost you a penny. You can either browse through your existing photos with the below recommendations in mind or take a new picture. A friend or family member can take the perfect LinkedIn photofor you in just a couple minutes. Before you go find your cameraman/woman, there are a few things that you need to know. 1. Sanity within your smile Please do not have a frown or angry expression. No recruiter will call you if you look like scary or mean person to talk toin your LinkedIn profile picture. This is also true for overly happy people or someone who is laughing in their LinkedIn photo. Studies have proven that people with too large of a smile either come off as fake or deranged. Please don’t look like the Joker. No one wants to hire someone who looks angry, insane, or dishonest. Take way deep breath and relax. An upward slanting, moderately happy smile will do. 2. Dress for the job Find out what the average person in your industry wears to workand dress accordingly. If you know that you will need to wear a suit to work, then don’t wear a t-shirt in your LinkedIn profile photo. Remember, it is better to overdress than underdress. To put it another way, it is better to show a lot of effort than none at all. Even if you are in a startup environment with casual dress attire, it can’t hurt to throw on a button-up for your LinkedIn photo. It’s good to rememberthatthis is a professional network and you never know what opportunities might find you. 3. Shoulders up Men and women,respect yourselves and crop your LinkedIn profile photoappropriately. The photo should focus on your face, above the chest line but wedefinitely recommended to include the shoulders. A straight shot of your face can be a little bit overwhelming. You want to have the camera positioned far enough where there is some space to see the background. I would recommend your face taking up about 60-70% of the entire frame. Speaking of background... 4. Subtle background Your background should either have a reallybasic surface or be unfocused. If too much is going on behind you, it could cause adistraction to the viewers. Why would you let your profile picture background steal your thunder, anyways? Recruiters and hiring managers are going to be looking at your LinkedIn profile for more about you! The focus should be on your face! 5. Let there be light You can have the right posture, the right clothes, the right angle, but bad lighting can ruin it all. Different lighting can present different problems: Not enough light and no one can see your face. Using a flash in a dark room will make your face look plain strange. Too much light and all of the color is washed out from the picture all together. Our suggestion? If at all possible, use natural lighting. Some advantages to natural lighting include: No unnecessary shadows. Will add natural color to your skin. Unlike artificial lighting, natural light requires no adjusting. 6. Choose a recent photo Make sure to set realistic expectations for whoever is viewing your profile. If you are looking for a job and you are in your mid forties, don’tadd a photo of yourself from your twenties. Youcan guarantee that you will losetrust with the interviewer and you will not get the job. Be honest andupfront. Find a recent picture or take a new one. Some things to remember You act differently with your friends and at home than you do at work, right? (Well,we hope you do.) This isn’t any different. Remeber, your LinkedIn profile isn’t the same as your Facebook profile or most other social media for that matter. Your LinkedIn profile picture isn’t the space to how yourself partying, swimming, or your usual wacky personality. This is where you show recruiters and hiring managers your best professional self. It’s as easy as having good lighting, good posture, the right clothes, and a nice smile. Keep these tips in mind, and there’s no reason you can’t set your best foot forward. Now that you know the sixmost important tips for a great LinkedIn photo, grab your camera or go through your pictures and get started. You are going to notice an immediate increase in profile views once you do this. Good luck! Bonus: keep improving your LinkedIn profile A well-shot LinkedIn profile picturewill definietly leave anyone who views your LinkedIn profile with a good first impression. However, a good profile picture can only get you so far. The content on your profile also needs to do some heavy lifting. For more ways to improve your LinkedIn profile, check out the19 Essential LinkedIn Profile Tips for Job Seekers.