Choosing the right photo for your LinkedIn profile is an important decision that requires some thought. Your photo acts as a first impression and helps convey your personal brand. Recruiters often look at LinkedIn photos to get a sense of what you look like and what you might be like to work with. The ideal LinkedIn photo is professional, high quality, and approachable. It should represent you in a positive light. With some key tips in mind, you can select an appropriate photo that presents your best self and leaves viewers with a great impression.
Should your photo be formal or casual?
LinkedIn is meant to be a professional networking site, so your photo should lean more formal than informal. Professional headshots and business casual photos tend to work best. Pictures of you at formal events or work functions are also suitable. Avoid very casual photos of you relaxing at home, hanging out with friends, or anything involving alcohol. While those types of photos show your personal side, they aren’t ideal for your professional persona on LinkedIn. The photo should look like it could belong on a company website or in your professional portfolio.
Some Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Wear professional attire like a suit, blazer, or nice blouse
- Smile and look approachable
- Make sure your face is clearly visible
- Look directly at the camera
- Have good lighting so your face is not in shadow
- Use a high quality camera or smart phone camera
- Take the photo against a plain, non-distracting background
- Make sure your photo is recent and up-to-date
Don’t:
- Wear very casual clothing
- Use group shots, selfies, or photos with filters
- Include inappropriate hand gestures or expressions
- Drink alcohol or smoke in the photo
- Wear a hat, sunglasses, or heavily tinted glasses
- Pose with pets or small children
- Use an old photo that no longer looks like you
Should you smile or look serious?
A friendly smile is recommended for LinkedIn photos. You want to look approachable, likable, and easy to work with. A smile makes you appear warm, trustworthy and confident. Just be sure the smile looks natural and not overly staged. A slight, closed-mouth smile often works better than a wide, toothy grin. Don’t frown or make a blank expression, as this can come across cold or stern. However, you don’t need to force yourself to smile if that isn’t comfortable. A pleasant, neutral expression can also look professional. The key is looking open and welcoming rather than intimidating.
Should you use a professional headshot?
Professional headshots are often the best route for LinkedIn. They are typically well-composed, high quality, and have optimal lighting. Since headshots are designed for professional use, they convey the right image. Make sure the headshot captures your head, shoulders and some of your torso rather than being just a zoomed in picture of your face. Professional photographers know how to make people look their very best. For many, hiring a photographer to take a LinkedIn photo is worth the investment. If you take the photo yourself, use similar techniques as a professional headshot with good posture, lightning and composition.
What style of photo tends to work best?
| Style | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Headshot | High quality, flattering lighting, ideal composition and framing, designed for professional use | Can feel overly staged, costs money to hire photographer |
| Business Casual Portrait | Relaxed but still professional, feels more natural than headshot | Lighting and composition not always ideal, can’t control background |
| Office/Workplace Photo | Shows you in your work environment, professional context | Less ability to control lighting, framing, and background |
| Formal Event Photo | Demonstrates your professional involvement and networks | Clothing varies depending on event formality |
A professional headshot often gives the best impression. However, a more casual business portrait or event photo can also work nicely and feels less staged. The most important aspects are proper framing, good lighting, and looking polished and put together.
Should you wear glasses or not?
Glasses are perfectly fine for LinkedIn photos, especially if you normally wear prescription glasses. For eyeglass wearers, glasses can look more natural than photos without them. Make sure your eyes are clearly visible behind non-tinted lenses. Glare on the glasses should also be minimized. For non-eyeglass wearers, glasses are fine to wear if you feel they enhance your look and convey the image you want. Just avoid tinted sunglasses or heavily framed glasses that obscure your face. You want viewers to connect with your eyes and facial expression. Don’t let glasses create too much of a barrier or distraction.
Does the background matter?
The ideal background for a LinkedIn photo is relatively plain and free of visual clutter or distractions. Solid colored backdrops or subtle office settings work well. Make sure the colors complement your skin tone and clothes. Avoid busy patterns or uncontrolled backgrounds that pull attention away from you. If taking the photo outdoors, choose a spot without complicated scenery behind you. Your face should be the focal point. Backgrounds should enhance the photo, not compete with the subject. Where possible, use depth of field focus techniques to softly blur the background.
Should you crop the picture tightly or loosely?
Strike a balance with photo cropping. Don’t crop too tightly so just your face fills the frame. But don’t go too wide where you are a small figure in a landscape. The ideal crop includes your head, shoulders and some of your torso. This allows viewers to connect with your facial expression while still getting a sense of your posture, clothing, and personal style. Follow the rule of thirds by positioning your face off center rather than dead center in the frame. Cropping issues can often be fixed by taking photos horizontally rather than vertically.Overall, remember that LinkedIn profile pictures are small, so don’t crop so wide that your facial features get lost.
Should group photos be avoided?
It’s generally best to avoid using group photos for your LinkedIn profile picture. You want the focus to be entirely on you. With group shots, it can be unclear who the actual profile owner is. The composition also tends to be less than ideal since people are clustered together. LinkedIn profile pictures are small, so faces easily get tiny and indistinguishable in group shots. Use a solo photo where you are the clear subject. Then you can use quality group photos on other sections of your LinkedIn profile if desired. Just don’t use them as your main profile image.
Should you include props or anything trendy?
When it comes to props, trends, and special effects, it’s usually best to just keep things simple. You want viewers focused on you, not distracted by props. Trendy photo ideas on other social media sites don’t always translate well to the professional sphere. LinkedIn isn’t the place for cute photo filters, unusual poses, or quirky images. Any prop you include should be very relevant to your work and not feel forced or gimmicky. In most cases, your smiling face alone makes the best photo.
What photo size and dimensions should you use?
The recommended photo size and dimensions for LinkedIn are:
- Minimum size: 400 x 400 pixels
- Ideal size: 500 x 500 to 800 x 800 pixels
- Shape: Square (1:1 aspect ratio)
- Landscape orientation (as opposed to portrait)
- Under 8 MB file size
- .JPG, .JPEG, or .PNG format
Using a photo with those professional specs ensures it looks crisp, clear, and visually appealing at any size on the LinkedIn platform.
How often should you update your LinkedIn photo?
Aim to update your LinkedIn profile photo every few years or whenever you significantly change your appearance. You want your photo to reflect what you currently look like. If your photo is more than 3-4 years old, it’s likely time for an update. Change in hair style, facial hair, glasses, age, or weight can also necessitate a new photo. Update anytime your existing photo no longer matches your look. You want viewers to be able to easily recognize you from your profile picture. An outdated photo defeats the purpose.
Conclusion
Choosing the right LinkedIn profile photo takes a bit of effort but is worth perfecting. When in doubt, opt for a professional headshot or business casual photo with you smiling, minimal background distractions, and sharp focus on your face. Pay attention to lighting, framing, image dimensions, and cropping. Choose a photo that looks like it could accompany resumes and job applications rather than social media sites. Your photo serves as your first impression, so craft it carefully to look polished, approachable, and professional. Put thought into what image you want to convey. With an appropriate photo that flatters you and fits the context, you’ll present your best self on LinkedIn.
