This Is What Your LinkedIn Photo Should Look Like

This Is What Your LinkedIn Photo Should Look LikeThis Is What The Ideal LinkedIn Photo Looks Like (+ 6 Tips To Perfect Yours)Posted June 16, 2016, by Zahra Campbell-AvenellWeve all agonised over our LinkedIn profile does my headshot look professional enough? Does it still convey my personality? Fret no mora Below youll find profile picture examples that will help you project the right impression. From how to smile to which poses to avoidheres how to take the perfect profile pic.There is some serious world wide web stalking going on these days. I dont mean the sinister kind I mean the regular, everydayGoogling kind. Have you ever looked up someones LinkedIn profile before you met them? A client? A future employer? A prospective employee? A whopping eight million Australians use LinkedIn, so its probably bedrngnis surprising that your LinkedIn profile is probably the first result people will find when they Google you. Over 90% of employers use social media to recruit candidates, bu t even if youre not actively looking for a job, you cant afford to ignore your visual representation in the digital world. Your LinkedIn profile is a great way to take control of your business identity and personal brand. More than ever, its crucial to have a strong LinkedIn profile, as its often your best chance to make a good first impression. Having a LinkedIn photo makes your profile 14 times mora likely to be viewed, but what is that photo saying about you? A study by Princeton University psychologists suggests it only takes a tenth of a second to form an impression based on a photo of a person. Even when participants had longer to study a photo, they didnt significantly change their initial conclusions. Clearly then were all at the mercy of peoples snap judgements for what our photos convey about our social and business skills. Yikes So how do you convince people that youre competent, capable and likeable through a photo? Theres good news researchers at Photofeeler, a profile photo testing tool, have done the hard yards for us. They analysed over 60,000 ratings of perceived competence, likeability and influence for over 800 profile photos, and heres what they foundThis is the perfect profile picture.What makes this great, and how can you make yours look just as good? Here are some tips on how to put your best digital face forward1. Say cheeseA smile is a powerful tool it makes you look more approachable, attractive and trustworthy. So you should definitely smile in your photo just as you would if you met a business contact in real life. But what kind of smile? Interestingly, nothing will have more impact on your apparent likeability than showing your teeth when you smile (bonus a toothy grin also increases scores for competence and influence). The study found that a closed mouth smile had no impact on competence and influence, and was only half as likely to make you look more likeable. But dont overdo it Laughing in your picture may increase your likeability, but at the expense of looking competent and influential.It might be good to smize for your modelling portfolio, but not for LinkedIn2. But remember to squinch a littleMade famous by photographer Peter Hurley, the squinch technique involves gently squinting as you smile. This has been shown to make people look more confident, as it mimics a natural smile. Moreover, a squinch was shown to increase peoples perceived competence and influence.A slight smile without your teeth showing could make you seem less likeableSquinch? Check. Toothy Smile? Check. Likeability - through the roofLaughing in your LinkedIn photo may be overkill...it may increase likeability, but not your apparent competence or influence3. Make eye contactEyes are the window to the soul, after all and you dont want to seem like a soulless freak, do you? Blocking the eyes brought down scores for likeability, competence and influence. So sunglasses are a definite no-no, but wearing glasses was shown to i ncrease perceived competence and likeability. So if you wear glasses, go ahead and wear them for your LinkedIn photoDont obstruct your eyes for your LinkedIn shots4. Wear formal clothingPerhaps its not all that surprising that dressing for success can actually make you appear and be more successful. Wearing formal clothing had the largest gains in perceived competence and influence. So even if you work in a less formal industry, its a good idea to pull your suit out of its dry cleaning plastic to take your LinkedIn photo. Remember, its a professional networking site so dont make your casual appearance make colleagues, clients, recruiters and hiring managers swipe left.Wearing informal clothing makes you look less professional and less competent5. Show your face (but not your idiosyncrasies)The study found that a bust (head and shoulders) or torso (head to waist) shot is preferable to a close-up of the face or a full-body shot. This isnt the place to get quirky either, so no funny faces, two thumbs up or thoughtfully stroking your chin these are likely to make you look cheesy and detract from your professional persona.Its a good idea to keep your hands off your face6. Look at the camera head onIt should go without saying, but LinkedIn really isnt the place for mirror selfies, with your head cocked sideways and your best duckface. So even if youre accustomed to tilting your head when you have a photo taken, try to straighten your head, stick out your jaw to make it more defined (another Peter Hurley trick) and make eye contact with the camera.Cocking your head to one side makes you appear less competentHaving a stellar LinkedIn profile is just as important as an updated resume or cover letter, whether or not youre in the job market. So dont underestimate that tiny little square that is often your first impression in the digital world.Found this article helpful? Youll love this read on How To Stand Out on LinkedIn ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searchesresignation tips and templatesnursing interview questions and answers new gradwhat training builder do you have to do to get this jobhow to write your first resumegroup interview tips CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire Online Zahra Campbell-AvenellZahra started writing at the age of 6, and hasnt stopped since. 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