By @ijyoyo | August 10 2020
What is Linkedin in the first place? It is a professional website made for Businesses, employers, and employees. It is a highly professional-centered website. This should be noted because your everyday profile picture may not fit in here.
Linkedin profiles sizes above 400 x 400 px are best. You want to aim for a higher-quality image. Avoid anything blurry or pixelated. Anything smaller than the 400 x 400 px size will be difficult to see.
If you are getting photos professionally done, most photographers will already have this set for you. Try to avoid low-resolution phone photos.
Think of it this way- if you are the CEO of a company versus a Junior Level Employee at your firm or industry you will be dressing differently. Maybe not entirely drastic but this is important.
The expression can make a great impression!
An expression can be everything in a profile photo! On Linkedin, many people lead with pictures of their faces. This is very common. Go for the headshots.
Remember to look directly at the camera with your eyes. This is expected when you look at other profiles. It also makes a great impression. Eye contact is extremely important.
Another important factor that plays a role in having a great headshot or profile photo is the lighting.
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What exactly does this mean? First off make sure you are well to see your face, you don’t want to be hidden in shadow.
Make sure that the light is soft on your face and does not create distorting shadows. Your photographer should be able to help you especially if you mention you would like “soft light” on your face.
Avoid high flashes that can create glares on your face. And avoid hard light which is opposite to soft light.
When you have a professional photo taken for your headshots it can certainly stand out amongst the crowd. It shows professionalism and is a great way to present yourself.
The photographer can help you find backgrounds that contrast your attire. This can surely make you stand out. The studio environment also gives the opportunity for different backgrounds besides black and white. You also have the opportunity to get fabulous lighting that matches your skin texture and face.
Often these professional photographers will also have the ability to get the best expression from you. You can communicate your concerns or your regards of how you want the photos to look. They can also pose you in a professional manner that will look respectable and reinforce professionalism.
You don’t always need to hire a photographer. After all, there is an amazing camera in your everyday pocket!
There are different ways of going about this such as getting a phone tripod, setting your phone on a stand, or getting a friend to help you out.
Use your back camera to take the photos, oftentimes the back camera has a higher Megapixel count which will help you achieve the 400x400 minimum. Also, I would recommend using a flash to bring your eyes- you may need to experiment with what looks best.
Don’t forget to wear proper attire as well. And edit the photos in apps on the app store. I would highly recommend Snapseed for Android and IOS.
Lastly, avoid filters on these photos. Some light editing is fine. You want to avoid high contrast or color filters for Linkedin! Leave those for Instagram or Facebook.
Also, remember to use a timer! I find the best sweet spot for timers is about 6-7 seconds if your phone or camera allows it. This can be great to move far enough away from the camera and create a desirable expression.
Linkedin Profile Photos don’t need to be updated a ton. However, make sure it still looks like you! When you are getting photos taken make sure you have options to choose for facial expressions.
This way you can determine which one you want to pick. This also may be convenient if you would like to change your profile photo later to another photo in the set!
However, oftentimes with Linkedin, you won’t need to update it for a while. You want this profile to match your personal brand. Don’t update it too often. Or at least not as often as Facebook or Instagram.
Although I really just wanted to put AI in this article as a buzzword, this might be the underrated tip of the day. Use a website like [enter] that detects your facial expressions. This can be great to understand what others think while they are looking at your photos.
On another note, you can also ask your business colleagues to help you choose a photo that best matches you, your brand, and the professional environment you are in.
Lastly, make it connect with the rest of your Linkedin. If you are doing an overhaul and modifying your entire LinkedIn make sure it matches!
Hopefully these 9 tips will help guide you on picking the right linkedin profile photo. Best of luck! And make sure to connect with me on Linkedin!