What Does Your Headshot Say About You?

By Kathy Blanton
Master Career Strategist

When I first joined LinkedIn (circa 2003), neither I nor anyone in my first tier network posted headshots onto their profile page. When someone would request I join their network, whether I had seen them just yesterday or ten years ago, I would immediately look for a photo only to find that mysterious LinkedIn silhouette where a smiling face could have been.

I don’t know about all of my friends, but I was very skeptical about putting my mug on the Internet for the entire world to see. There might be some weirdo out there who could trace my whereabouts and stalk me. Or someone might figure out that my youthfully- written profile wouldn’t exactly line up with my not-as-youthful face. I also thought that if employers really wanted to see what I looked like they could simply take the time to have me in for an interview and see the real deal firsthand. Yeah, right.

Despite my reticence, one by one, people in my network began to add pictures to their profile and I, too finally succumbed. Today it is the norm for some kind of picture to be included on social media profiles. These photos range from professional portraits to very candid (and sometimes questionable) styles and content. And when a picture is missing, it is noticeable. But when it is poor quality or too candid, it can have disastrous effects on one’s professional brand and career.

While it may not always be necessary to have headshots professionally taken, it is very important to take the time to choose the right profile picture from your collection. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before posting your headshot:

If someone sees your picture today on LinkedIn or Facebook and then sees you tomorrow at a meeting, do you look basically the same? How current is your photo?

What image are you portraying in this picture? Fun? Dignified? Foolhardy? Approachable? Intellectual? Friendly? Experienced? Executive? Sexy? Is this image consistent with your professional brand? Is there anything about this picture that might impact your brand negatively?

Have you had friends or coworkers you trust give you feedback on your picture as it relates to your professional brand? Do you feel confident when you look at this picture?

Is the background in the picture and what you are wearing complimentary to one another?

Would you use this same picture in print media if you were asked to speak or perform at a major event in your industry?

Would you hire someone who looks like the person in this picture? If not, what do you need to change?

By taking the time to ensure that your photo is a nice, professional representation of your brand, you will avoid making the wrong first impression. A wrong first impression can be overcome given time. Problem is, you may not be given the chance.

Staying upbeat and beating the odds while the economy’s taking a beating

by Judith Smyer, CPRW & Master Job Coach

Employers are hiring, and you need only ONE job. How do you find it?

First, consider the critical career factors that point to your ideal job: your knowledge, skills, abilities, interests, values, preferences, job and culture likes and dislikes - combined with job market demand in the geographic locations that you’re targeting.

Next, ensure your unique value proposition and brand are clear in all of your job search marketing communications, verbal and written. Focus on how you will help the company make money and convey this information memorably, demonstrating your distinctive energy and style.

Then, be creative and thorough in deploying job search strategies. Don’t ignore any search method, but spend the most time on those that work the best. What are they?

The basics - excerpted and adapted from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20042.htm):

Personal/professional contacts - a.k.a. networking or community building
Published openings
Targeting and directly contacting employers
Online resources, e.g., job sites (SimplyHired, Monster), social/business networking sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter), your own blog or website
Professional associations
State workforce services offices (find yours here: http://www.servicelocator.org/)
Services for special groups (veterans, people with disabilities, dislocated workers, youth)
Community agencies - nonprofit organizations, including religious institutions and vocational rehabilitation agencies
Private employment agencies and career consultants
Internships
School career planning and placement offices
Labor unions

Here are links to helpful information on search strategies:
Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang - includes a chart showing effectiveness of specific job search strategies for recent hires
Shy? What’s your best job search strategy? - from Money.CNN.com

A word of advice on responding to published openings, since this is a popular and effective search method: don’t drop the ball after you submit your resume. Follow up with the company to ensure your resume was received. Find out who the hiring manager is, prepare a brief presentation and call that person. Research the company, and network to make an inside connection.

Remember: you need ONE job, and it’s out there for you. Work “smart” by knowing what you want; having confidence in your value; being active, proactive, prepared and distinctive; being familiar with all available search methods and focusing on those that are known to generate the best results.

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Johann Klemmack
Product Manager
PowerMyCareer