ResumeBear Blog |
Posted: 30 Jun 2011 09:56 AM PDT  Whether you’re job seeking, networking to grow your business or just using LinkedIn to stay in touch with former coworkers, it’s important to choose a photo that exudes professionalism and is appropriate for a business forum like LinkedIn. This isn’t Facebook, Twitter or Match.com… It’s LinkedIn and it’s externally viewable to a very wide audience. A picture’s worth a thousand words, right? So what does YOUR profile picture say about you? While it’s all in good fun and everyone’s obviously entitled to pick whichever avatar they like, here are some examples of the classic mistakes that I see most often: 1. Too Many People A profile pic should contain one person and one person only… you. If you include a group, we’re left to guess which one is you and since the box is so small, we can’t really see anyone in the group anyway. How does this group really represent YOU as a business professional?    LinkedIn isn’t the place to bare your cleavage, pouty lips or hulking biceps. Please cover up and show us that you have the good judgment to save those pics for other forums!     It’s good to be young at heart, but what message does a cartoon convey to your audience? Are you coming across as a mature, capable, professional individual? If you only get one picture to sum you up to the LinkedIn world, is this one really the best choice?    It’s cool that you’re a big fan of Quentin Tarantino movies, espresso or rugby, but your LinkedIn avatar probably isn’t the best place to share that with the world… Better to leave that stuff for Facebook.    Okay, for real? These shots always make me grin and cringe at the same time. How can we take you seriously when you obviously take yourself a little TOO seriously?! Relax and just take a nice, professional headshot… lose the props and the posing. We don’t want to picture you posing for your LinkedIn pic at the local Glamour Shots in the mall!      I’m not too sure what these photos say about the individuals they supposedly represent, but I don’t think they’re saying much. Think about your online brand and select a photo that supports that brand. Your avatar should represent you, not just be a random bumper sticker…    It’s okay to be a family man, love your wife/dog/cat, or have a baby who just celebrated a birthday. But these shots are really best left for Facebook or your personal Twitter account, not your LinkedIn profile.    It’s great that you just got that new Mercedes, yacht, Rolex, etc. But showing it off on your LinkedIn avatar is sending the wrong message! Show us evidence of your success via the business accomplishments and work history in your LinkedIn profile, not by flaunting material items in your avatar…    Your profile photo box is only one square inch, so be sure to crop correctly and/or choose a photo that we can actually see. Full body shots just don’t work in this case… I’m sure you’ve got good stuff in your pic, but if it’s too small to see, then it’s not serving its purpose!    If your avatar looks like an advertisement, then you may want to rethink your choice. ‘Nuff said.   Not too sure what to make of these…     
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