Tips for a Great LinkedIn Photo
- It’s usually best to face the window or other primary source of light. Make sure there is plenty of even light on your face and the primary source of light is not be behind you.
- Position the camera at eye level or above when the picture is taken. If the photographer is shorter than you are, have him or her stand on a few thick books to even out your heights. Being shot from below can be unflattering to the chin and jawline.
- Make eye contact with the camera as the photographer snaps the picture. Research shows making eye contact makes you seem more engaged, more likeable, and more intelligent. Murphy NA. Appearing smart: the impression management of intelligence, person perception accuracy, and behavior in social interaction. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2007 Mar;33(3):325-39. doi: 10.1177/0146167206294871. PMID: 17312315.
- Smile like you mean it — including your eyes as the photographer snaps the picture.
- Keep your head upright. Tilting your head sideways (bringing one ear closer to your shoulder while still looking forward), can make you look less competent. But don’t worry about a minor tilt, as the LinkedIn photo app has a feature that allows you to correct a slight tilt when you upload your photo. Note: a head swivel toward a camera on your left or right side is fine, as long as you smile warmly into the camera lens.
- Have the photographer include your shoulders in the picture, and upload it without cropping. LinkedIn will automatically crop your square photo into a circle, so you need to start some extra blank space behind you to keep your head and shoulders in the round profile image.
Tips for a Great LinkedIn Photo
- It’s usually best to face the window or other primary source of light. Make sure there is plenty of even light on your face and the primary source of light is not be behind you.
- Position the camera at eye level or above when the picture is taken. If the photographer is shorter than you are, have him or her stand on a few thick books to even out your heights. Being shot from below can be unflattering to the chin and jawline.
- Make eye contact with the camera as the photographer snaps the picture. Research shows making eye contact makes you seem more engaged, more likeable, and more intelligent. Murphy NA. Appearing smart: the impression management of intelligence, person perception accuracy, and behavior in social interaction. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2007 Mar;33(3):325-39. doi: 10.1177/0146167206294871. PMID: 17312315.
- Smile like you mean it — including your eyes as the photographer snaps the picture.
- Keep your head upright. Tilting your head sideways (bringing one ear closer to your shoulder while still looking forward), can make you look less competent. But don’t worry about a minor tilt, as the LinkedIn photo app has a feature that allows you to correct a slight tilt when you upload your photo. Note: a head swivel toward a camera on your left or right side is fine, as long as you smile warmly into the camera lens.
- Have the photographer include your shoulders in the picture, and upload it without cropping. LinkedIn will automatically crop your square photo into a circle, so you need to start some extra blank space behind you to keep your head and shoulders in the round profile image.