Quick Answers
Wearing glasses in your LinkedIn profile picture is a personal choice that depends on several factors. Here are some quick answers:
– If you normally wear glasses, wearing them in your profile picture will present an authentic image of yourself.
– Glasses can make you appear more intellectual, studious or professional in some fields.
– Go with whichever look makes you feel the most confident and comfortable.
– Make sure your glasses are clean and framed lenses don’t create glare in photos.
– If you don’t need glasses for vision correction, avoid wearing novelty glasses.
How Glasses Can Enhance Your Professional Image
For many professionals, wearing prescription glasses is a part of their normal, everyday look. In these cases, it makes sense to wear your glasses in your LinkedIn profile photo to present an authentic image. Glasses are a part of your personal brand.
However, even if you don’t need vision correction, glasses can enhance your professional image in the right contexts. Studies show people tend to perceive bespectacled individuals as more intelligent, educated, competent and thorough. The stereotype of the studious bookworm wearing glasses persists in many people’s minds.
This perception can work in your favor on a site like LinkedIn where you want to highlight hard skills, intelligence and professional capabilities. Glasses subtly communicate you are serious, thoughtful and focused on getting work done.
Fields Where Intellectual Glasses May Help
Some fields where wearing glasses can lend a boost of intellectual authority include:
– Academia: Professor, teacher, academic researcher
– Science and technology: Scientists, programmers, engineers
– Medical and health care: Doctors, nurses, pharmacists
– Legal: Lawyers, paralegals
– Business leadership: Executive roles where intelligence is valued
The studious, professional look communicated by glasses aligns well with the expertise required in these fields.
Downsides of Glasses in Certain Fields
However, glasses do not enhance every professional image. In creative fields, fashion, sales, marketing, political campaigning, broadcasting and other areas involving heavy public interaction, glasses may undermine yourgoals.
Potential downsides include looking:
– Too studious when you want to appear approachable
– Too soft when you want to project strong leadership
– Too nerdy when you want to look hip and fashionable
In these cases, forgoing glasses on LinkedIn may create a more appropriate look for your personal brand, unless you wear them consistently in real life.
Practical Considerations for Wearing Glasses
If you’ve decided glasses align with the professional image you want to project, keep these practical tips in mind:
Use Updated Glasses
– Make sure your glasses are current and flattering for your face. Avoid outdated frames.
– Glare from the flash can be unflattering. Invest in anti-reflective coating.
– Go with Frames that align with your industry. Bold colors and patterns for creative fields, traditional colors and materials for corporate jobs.
Clean the Lenses
– Always thoroughly clean your lenses before taking profile photos. Smudges are extremely obvious and unprofessional looking in close-up pictures.
– Use a microfiber cloth and lens cleaner fluid to remove all dust, fingerprints and smears.
– If needed, take your glasses to your optometrist for a deeper cleaning.
Consider Logistics
– Glare from overhead lighting can cause glare on glass lenses. Avoid overhead lighting when taking your profile photo. Natural lighting often works best.
– Position yourself slightly angled away from direct light sources to avoid glare.
– Keep your chin level – tilting it down causes glare on lower lenses.
– Consider a matte finish on lenses to diffuse glare.
Alternatives to Constantly Wearing Glasses
If you only need glasses for specific tasks like driving or computer work, consider these alternatives for your profile:
Go Without Glasses
– If you don’t rely on glasses most of the time, it’s fine to picture yourself without them on your profile. You want to match what you look like when meeting people.
Wear Contact Lenses
– Consider contacts when taking your profile photo – then swap back to glasses as needed.
– But avoid this if contacts are not comfortable for you on a regular basis.
Take Two Photos
– Post two photos on your profile: One with glasses and one without. This provides the full picture.
– Use the no-glasses photo as your main profile image. The other demonstrates variants of your look.
Add Glasses to Some Photos
– Incorporate some photos wearing your glasses in your profile’s media gallery to show your full range.
– Mix it up – don’t wear glasses in every single photo.
Exceptions: When Glasses Send the Wrong Message
In most cases, wearing prescription glasses that are current and flattering is perfectly acceptable in your LinkedIn profile photo. However, there are some exceptions:
Avoid Novelty Glasses
– Don’t wear toy glasses, gag glasses or costume glasses. These undermine your professionalism.
Avoid “Fake” Glasses
– Wearing clear lens or non-prescription glasses can look like you’re trying too hard.
– Exceptions if you wear them daily for migraines, eye strain or other medical reasons.
Neutralize Controversial Frames
– Some glass frame shapes, colors or patterns may be considered unprofessional in conservative industries.
– When in doubt, it’s safest to go with traditional black or brown frames.
– Thick bold frames and unusual colors are best avoided.
Conclusion
Overall, wearing stylish, up-to-date prescription glasses is perfectly appropriate for your LinkedIn profile photo in most professional contexts. Theypresent an authentic image and can lend your profile intellectual authority.
However, glasses don’t enhance every field equally. They may undermine personal branding goals focused on being approachable, fashionable or conservative. Consider your industry and the impression you want to make.
Keep glasses clean and well-fitting in profile photos. Make sensible decisions on wearing glasses depending on your vision needs and the image you want to project. With some forethought, glasses can be a strategic accessory choice for putting your best face forward on LinkedIn.