Whether in person or online, making a professional first impression is important. You want to look like a credible and confident person that recruiters and colleagues would want to keep around.
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8 profile picture rules every professional should follow
Your professional headshot or profile picture is important. Here's how to choose the right one.
You want to look pleasant and powerful.
Keep your head straight.
Tilting your head may make you look less self-assured. This is your professional photo, so you need to look confident and capable.
You should be the only subject.
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It's your professional profile picture, so it should focus on you. This means no inanimate objects, group shots, or photos of you with your significant other, child, or pets.
Your face should be in focus.
Your features need to be clear and sharp. If there are darker shadows in the background, make sure they aren't obscuring your face.
Use a recent photo of yourself.
If people are surprised when they meet you in person because you look nothing like your picture, they may wonder why you posted such a misleading photo.
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Wear appropriate attire.
Look the way you would at work. Never post a photo of yourself at the beach, in a nightclub, or even running a marathon.
Use a pleasant facial expression.
You need to look like someone others will want to work with. This means looking pleasant and confident and not having a "too serious" look on your face. You want to appear vibrant — so also avoid shots in black and white.
Don't use your company's logo.
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People want to connect with you as an individual, so avoid displaying your company's logo — unless it's your company's page. Once they connect with you, they'll be able to learn about your product and your company via your company page.
Always use a photo.
There may be many people with the same name, so it's important to make sure people know they're connecting with the right person. Plus, a photo is much more appealing to potential connections than a question mark.
Vivian Giang contributed to an earlier version of this story.
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