The Headshot: A Visual Introduction To Your Resume

If a picture paints a thousand words, could a photo be a visual introduction to a person’s resume? 

I started thinking deep thoughts about professional head shots while on LinkedIn, when it suggested three new people for me to add to my network, providing only headshots, names, current jobs and our common connections.

What struck me is that not one of them had a decent headshot.   They might have been fun pics for Facebook or to frame at home. Or maybe that was the only photo they had at the time.  But not for a serious networking tool like LinkedIn.

Here’s what I saw:

1. In the first photo, the person is smiling and looks happy, which is good.  Problem is that it looks like they have antennae sticking out of their head – sort of like old-fashioned TV rabbit ears. The background leads me to believe they are in a bar or at a restaurant.
2. The second photo is a bit better, with a nice outdoor background – clearly professional.  Too bad the person’s eyes appear to be closed.
3. The third photo is the best.  Probably because there is no photo.  It’s one of those LinkedIn “placeholders”, a blue-gray silhouette meme that’s androgynous.  I guess they don’t want me – or prospective employers – to see them at all.

Yikes. 

Even before seeing these photos I had planned to update my professional headshot.  Mine was good, yet with speaking engagements and a website, it’s important to have more than one photo.

Honestly, I don’t like traditional headshots.  They can be too sterile; I want mine to portray some warmth and personality.  If this photo is a visual introduction then I want you to see a combination of business and personality.

After much research I booked a session with a local photographer, someone I had used before.  He suggested I bring some props in addition to clothing changes.

As I entered the studio I suddenly felt a bit intimidated.  Not many people I know actually enjoy getting their picture taken, especially by a professional.  And no wonder!  Our first photography sessions were forced on us as infants and toddlers by well-meaning family.

Many of these photos were taken at the holidays and included sitting on the lap of a scary-looking person in a Santa Claus outfit or Bunny suit.  Sort of counter to the “Stranger Danger” lessons our parents were trying to teach us.

Even the semi-professional school photos were intimidating.  Lined up with the rest of our classmates, one by one we were called forward to sit in the chair as the photographer shouted instructions. “Knees right! Head left! Chin up! Look at me, smile!-click-NEXT!”

Gosh, I hope this photographer doesn’t shout at me.  I am paying him, after all.

I looked around his studio and checked for scary clowns or other stranger danger.  Once I realized it was only the two of us I relaxed.

We worked for almost two hours taking multiple shots while he adjusted lights, props and me to get the perfect picture.  Wardrobe and prop changes added to the fun.  We chatted while he snapped.

Technology helped since he could tell instantly whether the lighting was right, and I could see the images on a big screen which allowed me to make adjustments in my expression.

We carefully went through the list of shots I wanted.  I walked out of the studio exhausted from trying to pose in a relaxed-yet-business-like manner.   That evening I sifted through a couple hundred images.  On a scale of one-to-ten, most were at least in the five to eight range, which is amazing.

I looked for the best ones, the nines and tens, knowing that these photos will be the first thing a stranger sees – my introduction to them and potentially a new opportunity.

More often than not we neglect this important part of our online business profile.  It can be expensive to hire a photographer and quite frankly, many of us simply do not like to have our picture taken.  So we rummage through our photos and settle for something we already have, assuming it will be good enough.

If my first chance to impress is with a stamp-sized photo on LinkedIn, I want mine to be great so potential employers are encouraged to learn more.  Remember: visual introduction.  I’m still sorting through my new headshots looking for the right one.

Yes, a picture paints a thousand words.  Or in the case of social media, it really just needs to make a good first impression.