Is Your LinkedIn Headshot Dooming Your Job Search

Is Your LinkedIn Headshot Dooming Your Job SearchIs Your LinkedIn Headshot Dooming Your Job Search8The wrong kind of LinkedIn headshot can solidify a negative impression within seconds, before you even have a chance to win them over with your experience and credentials.Lets face the facts a study by The Ladders has found that recruiters spend an average of six seconds per LinkedIn profile- and 19 percent of that time looking at the profile picture. Research on first impressions says that it takes one-tenth of a second to draw conclusions about a person from a photo, and that this process is so automatic its almost impossible to stop.So, what makes a negative LinkedIn photo anyway? According to our experience with PhotoFeeler, heres how to create a solid LinkedIn headshot1. Skip a picture that doesnt project business values.An unprofessional picture is any that fails to put you in a professional light. For instance, if your photo shows you in a baseball jersey in a stadium seat holdin g a foam finger, this says little to nothing about you as a professional. It might project personal values, like loyal or fun, but nothing that translates directly to the workplace.When viewed in a professional context like LinkedIn (rather than a social one like Facebook), a picture like this can backfire into a negative impression like indicating youre not serious, that youre inappropriate, or that youre a goofball.For an appropriate LinkedIn headshot, opt to dress in your industrys business attire against a neutral or blurred-out background. Shoot for business-related values, including smart, organized, or assertive.2. Avoid an unfriendly facial expression (or pretty much any look that isnt a smile).People hire people that they like. And the fastest way to look like someone a hiring manager might want to work with- day in and day out- is to give your LinkedIn photo a simple smile.Now, in case youre not convinced just yet, Ive got to tell you something about the alternative. See, you and I assess non-smiling pictures of ourselves differently than strangers do. The fact is, with the exception of a smile, almost all facial expressions are easily misinterpreted by strangers. So, while you may think the intellectual look in your LinkedIn photo is helping your career, the hiring manager who reads you as smug might disagree.3. Be careful of creepy or shady lighting.fruchtwein people who arent professional photographers highly underestimate the importance of lighting, but this mistake can be downright fatal for your job search. Artificial or scarce lighting is the fastest way to give a recruiter creepy vibes.The easiest way to get flattering light for your LinkedIn photo, aside from hiring a photographer, is to use natural light- ideally from a window. Stand at an angle that gives you even light across your whole face and be aware of whether youre casting harsh shadows behind you, in which case youll want to get farther away from your background.4. Get an unbiased opinion.To be honest, the rules of a great LinkedIn photo arent always incredibly clear-cut. Worse yet, research shows that we cant see photos of ourselves objectively, and feedback that comes from people who already know us isnt much better. (Not including the fact that our friends and family lie to spare our feelings)For quick and easy feedback on your prospective LinkedIn photos, check out PhotoFeeler.com. This takes all the guesswork out of it. Plus, testing photos on PhotoFeeler can help you go beyond just being appropriate for LinkedIn and actually put you ahead of the competition.Readers, which of these tips are most relevant to improving your LinkedIn headshot? Let us know in the commentsAnn Pierce is cofounder and CEO of PhotoFeeler, an easy (and free) way to find out what other people think of your photos before you post them, for business, social, and dating use.