Did you know that profiles with pictures attract 50-70% more views than profiles without pictures?
If you want to be found by corporate recruiters looking for an executive like you, you need a robust LinkedIn profile that begins with a professional-grade photo.
Turbo-charge your LinkedIn photo
- Don’t use an old photo. There are few things worse than meeting someone for the first time and not recognizing them because the photo on their LinkedIn profile is from 10 years ago (or longer)!
- Use a photo of you in your profile — don’t use a photo of an object or a photo of a photo.
- Your photo should include your head and shoulders, not just a close-up of your face.
- Smile! Radiate warmth and approachability in your photo. What backstory are your eyes telling in your photo?
- Photos should be professionally done, if possible (but not glamour shots) and those professional fees will range between $400 and $1200 according to backstage.com.
- Wear your most complimentary color. Bright colors attract attention, but avoid patterns.
- Don’t have other people in your photos (and don’t crop other people out of your shot — there should not be any errant body parts in your LinkedIn photo!).
- Make sure the background in the photo isn’t distracting.
- Relax. Look directly at the camera.
- Take multiple shots and ask people their opinion on which one makes you seem most “approachable.” No sunglasses.
- Tips for Men: Wear a dark blue or black dress shirt. No t-shirts or Hawaiian shirts. No busy or crazy patterns.
- Tips for Women: Wear something you feel comfortable in. No t-shirts. No big or busy patterns. Soft, dark v-necks look great. Black always works; avoid white. If possible, your hair and makeup should be professionally done.
Searches you can try
Year-to-date, LinkedIn’s revenues are $568M, and 60% of that revenue is generated from recruiting or talent acquisition tools and subscriptions.
Its power lies in its ability to return critical information from searching on keywords, location, industry, and other items that are important to a company. Without a photo, it appears as though the job seeker has broken an unwritten rule—profiles with photos attract more views than those profiles without photos.
Try this search:
CIO + Software + Wireless + Toronto.
My search result yielded five candidates active in this city meeting these criteria, based on my connections. Yours will likely be different. Typically I do not bother to click on the profiles without photos.
Why? Well, the LI member without the photo, in my opinion, may not be as serious about his or her online presence. Those executives taking the time to invest in a professional photo are likely more serious about talking to a recruiter or other interested party who have searched on the criteria. To be clear, I am not a recruiter. However, I do spend many hours a day scouring LinkedIn profiles for various reasons.
BONUS TIP! I am willing to bet that there are many, many more CIOs in the City of Toronto in the wireless industry. Only two of the five profiles I found had photos. I am far more inclined to look at the profiles with photos. You can be found in that lucrative list with the right words. Invest in a photo and be a recruiter magnet.
Recruiters perform sophisticated searches for passive candidates like you. Ensure your profile is complete with a professional photo. Between the power of the photo and the power of keywords appropriate for your industry, level and stature, you can be “found” by a recruiter who is sourcing a business maverick like you.
Image courtesy of cooldesign / freedigitalphotos.net
