What Does Your LinkedIN Photo Say About You?
LinkedIn is a social networking site for business men and women. The main intent of LinkedIN is to help business men and women to network professionally. At a more basic level, LinkedIn is to business associates and potential clients what Facebook is to friends and family. Your LinkedIN profile photo should therefore represent you as a professional business person.
Surveys confirm that 94% of recruiters look at the LinkedIn profiles of candidates. Therefore, if you are looking for a job you must be on LinkedIN. Nearly 50 percent of B2B buyers will browse your LinkedIN profile. We know from our own personal experience that potential clients, colleagues, co-workers and competitors will also review your LinkedIn profile and photo.
A first impression takes only one-tenth of a second. In that fraction of a second, we size up the person in the headshot. We determine their intelligence, competency, personality, approach-ability, likability. Most most importantly we determine if the person in the photo is able or willing to work with other people. OR are they closed minded and withdrawn? Research has confirmed that 80-90% of the first impression is based on two main qualities-trustworthiness and competence.
All of these personal traits are apparent in your headshot due to your body language. Your body language can make you look confident or introverted. The look in your eyes can make you look intelligent or simple-minded. Your clothing, the and the background of your headshot also influences the first impression of the viewer.
Lets look at some sample LinkedIN profile photos to evaluate what they say about the person in the photo.
This woman is not looking at the camera – she comes across as evasive. The reflection in her glasses makes her look increasingly unapproachable because you cannot see her eyes clearly. Her arms are close together, almost crossed so she looks closed to communicating with others. The coffee cup she is holding is shielding her from the viewer making her look even more withdrawn. She appears introverted and lacks confidence.
Wearing sunglasses makes this woman look as though she was hiding something so her honesty is in question. This woman has a very passive (almost sarcastic) smile on her face which could indicate her inability to work with others. This is obviously a candid photograph. The fact that she did not have a professional headshot created indicates that she does not take her job seriously and she may lack professionalism.
This woman cut herself out of another photo. It was obviously taken in a bar (she has an alcoholic drink in her hand). This says she is a “party girl” and is not serious about her job due to the lack of a professional headshot. Her smile says she is sweet, kind, and sexy. Hmmm… not too many job descriptions list these qualities.
Family vacation photos belong on Facebook- not LinkedIN. This profile photo says you enjoy going on vacations and do not take your job seriously. Selfies are never appropriate for use on LinkedIN. A headshot created by a skilled headshot photographer holds you out as a professional that takes his/her job seriously. Ask yourself, would you hire this attorney based on this photo? I would not!
You cannot even see this mans face in his profile photo! A profile photo should be cropped to include the head and shoulders so you can be easily recognize the person in the headshot when you meet them. This says the man enjoys playing golf. Even if he was a professional golfer it would not be an appropriate headshot for use on LinkedIN This holds him out as being unprofessional due to the poor amateur quality of the photo and inappropriate setting.
Do not get creative with your LinkedIN photo unless you are a graphic artist that actually does this type of photographic editing. Even if the person in the headshot is a graphic artist, the person in the photo appears unapproachable and angry. Those are not desirable traits for an employee or someone that a company would want to hire to do their graphic arts. Your headshot should clearly represent your face and provide a positive representation of your best traits (i.e. confident, approachable, intelligent, etc)
Body language is a very important component of your headshot. Cynthia McIntyre studies body language extensively and uses this knowledge in the creation of every headshot. Cynthia McIntyre will provide guidance during your session to ensure that you are posed in a manner consistent with your personal brand. In other words- your body language will say what you want it to say about yourself. She will review all of your headshot at the end of your session to assist you to look at your proofs in an objective manner. She will teach you about your body language so you can select the one that represents you appropriately.
For more info or to schedule a headshot session with Cynthia McIntyre Photography call 203.364.1592 or 813.369.5545
