The Power of Great Headshots
Is your headshot hurting your business opportunities?
In recent studies, up to 90% of human resources people say they check out social media profiles, especially LinkedIn and Facebook, before inviting a candidate in for an interview. This means the wrong headshot can kill your chances of even talking on the phone stone-dead. Is your headshot killing your opportunities for job offers before you even get the opportunity to interview? – Careercast.com
In a great article by Martin Yates, he states the top 5 questions you should be asking yourself about your headshot and the message you are sending to potential employers.
Every Picture Tells a Story
Like it or not, your headshot tells a story, so take a look at yours to see if it is telling the story you want it to tell.
Are You Trying to Get Hired or Dated?
Make sure that your headshot shows a difference. The image you use on Match.com should not be the same that is on Linkedin.
Can You Get Away With a DIY Headshot?
I look frightening in most photographs. It’s not that I look exactly like a creature from the crypt, it’s just that I’m naturally shy and a casual snapshot will usually catch me looking terrified.
We all look better relaxed and smiling, and the beauty of digital cameras is that the shooter can keep shooting until you relax. While you want to come across looking like a friendly professional, the headshot doesn’t have to be taken by a professional. Because we almost all need new headshots for our professional lives, a headshot photography partner shouldn’t be that difficult to find.
Summer Is the Best Time to Upgrade Your Headshot
Summer is the best time to upgrade your social media headshots. You look happier and more relaxed because it’s summer, and for paler skins any kind of tan makes you look healthier.
Your Headshot & Headline
You have just these 120 characters to say who you are, so your headline should include the Target Job Title from your primary resume and the keywords that most succinctly capture what you do. You will then have about ten words with which to describe your key skills.
