What Difference Does it Make?
Imagine for a moment that you are a human resource manager. It is your job to find the right candidate (dare I say, the perfect candidate) for your company. The company has certain expectations and requirements that must be fulfilled for a particular position.
With this task in mind, you begin the search for this perfect employee that will not only fulfill the requirements but also fit in with your company’s culture and style. Hundreds of resumes and applications await you. A daunting task.
Once you narrow down the applicants to a manageable number, you are able to more closely research and investigate each candidate. Among other resources, LinkedIn is a valuable tool for this research. During this more detailed stage of the process, you are comparing the candidates to make a decision about which ones to call in for an interview.
After all of this work, you are reviewing profiles on LinkedIn and come across the two images above, BEFORE and AFTER. What difference does it make if the image in your profile is a professional headshot? To me, it makes all the difference. BEFORE is a snapshot – it’s a low resolution image where the lighting and posing do little to flatter the subject. She actually looks a little tired in this image. AFTER is a professional headshot where the lighting gives depth and dimension to the image. Posing makes the subject look confident and competent. And professional!
A LinkedIn profile image will not get you a job. But a professional headshot makes all the difference in putting forward your best, most confident and competent self in today’s very competitive job market.
So what difference does it make? Which person, BEFORE or AFTER, would you choose for the interview?
