LinkedIn is the social network at the tip of everyone’s tongue. Any clued-in business owners these days have at least registered their companies profile to try and generate some kind of presence on the site. The initial part of that is setting up a personal profile. There you will be able to enter in the usual and expected information like your level of education and your work experience, interests and hobbies. And then it comes to your photograph. This photograph will be the face of your businesses profile and it’s important that you get it right. Today we wan to talk about the 5 kinds of photos you should never use on LinkedIn.
It would be unusual for some people to now set up a LinkedIn account without other social media presence. And that means that we’ve probably all utilised at least one headshot as our profile picture on other social sites. LinkedIn is probably the one site that requires a more exceptional approach to the profile image. And while LinkedIn is a Social Media platform that doesn’t mean that it’s like Facebook. LinkedIn is virtually exclusively for professionals or professional related topics. That is what it’s dedicated to. It makes sense to join in with your own high standards using a professional looking headshot.
So let’s look at a few ways we SHOULDN’T portray ourselves in our headshot.
“My clothes are from ten years ago and I’m quite young”
Hopefully this is self explanatory. It just means you really need to update photographs more regularly. Ford don’t sell their latest cars by only showing a picture of the Model T. And if you’re happily living in the past in your online persona then you can bet you’ll get shocked looks when you do finally meet people…”What happened!?”
“I hate my life”
For the most part the majority of the photographs on LinkedIn will be headshots, showing only the face, neck and shoulders.
So it’s really easy to appear over-serious or intense. If you have ever looked at a photograph like this, you’ll probably agree it’s slightly discomforting or unnerving and not a great way to portray yourself. Don’t stare directly into the camera with an intensity guaranteed to make Jack Nicholson squirm. (We’ll call that the energy of intensity, which is all well and good when you’re fixated on a task but can come across as confronting). That seriousness or intensity can quickly be interpreted as bored, angry, sullen or challenging. Some of that can work well within the confines of negotiating business but won’t help to get a foot in the employment door initially.
The “Sporty Spice”
If you were looking for a place to get a virtual high-five because you do cross-fit 3 times a week, then LinkedIn is really not the place for that, as fantastic for you as it is.
Professional business contacts won’t care you can do 50 box-jump burpees in 3 minutes. They’re more interested in your knowledge and envisioning you in a professional role. They want to engage somebody who looks professional.
The “Frantic Filter Fury”
Does the fact that everybody else is sharing photographs of AGM meetings and client presentations not give you some idea that this isn’t Instagram? Beauty or comedic filters are an absolute no-no on LinkedIn. They carry no gravitas and if that is expected of you it carries. fairly heavy judgement by those around you.
“All the people in my life are here with me”
Yes, you’ve got family. Will you bring them with you everyday? It’s not social media in the sense that you need to let fellow professionals see all your life away from the office. If the other professionals you deal with want to know, they’ll ask. But otherwise keep your LinkedIn profile picture purely about you.
LinkedIn photographs may seem to be your average professional snap. You can certainly find plenty of people who will do that for you. But just as you’ve spent years honing your skills so have we. And if you’re the type of person to carefully plan and execute things then you’ll find we’re the perfect fit to show you the extra consideration that really needs to go into your headshot. And that’s critical when you realise the importance of that profile on LinkedIn is double, of say, a website.
We’re one of Sydney’s best headshot photography and retouching teams and we create truly engaging headshots for all levels of professionals. If it’s time for you to update taking that all important photograph then please click here to book your preferred time.
