7 Powerful Tips for a Great LinkedIn Photo [Guide]

LinkedIn Mar 24, 2021

It might be hard to believe, that your profile picture affects how many views your profile gets. Research by LinkedIn shows that having a picture, will make your profile 14 times more likely, to be viewed by others. Your profile picture is the perfect opportunity to make a good first impression, so take advantage of it, and choose a good photo of yourself.

It's way better to get your LinkedIn profile picture taken by a photographer with a professional camera, than by a friend or a relative with their phone.

However, if you don't have the budget, you can also get your picture with your smartphone. But, you will need to pay attention to the details.

That's why we've listed some photography tips to help you get a great LinkedIn picture.

Take your picture in good light

You don't need to get your profile photo taken by a professional photographer for it to look good. You can make your picture look professional even if you took it with your smartphone's camera. Lighting is the most important thing for photo taking.

To enhance your pics further, you can also vectorize images for a crisp and scalable result.

The right lighting can add contrast, interest, and life to your photo.

Everything about the lighting is important.

The shades, the contrast, how bright your face looks…everything!

So before you take your LinkedIn picture, make sure the lighting is flattering.

Standing beneath fluorescent light can create shadows on your face or make your skin look unnatural shiny. Natural light produces the best effect instead.

Pick a photo that looks like you

Sometimes, we leave out the most important things, which are actually the most important. It sounds obvious, but it is very important that your profile picture actually looks like you.

The employers need to know exactly what you look like.

Imagine if they would meet you tomorrow, and you need to show them who they are going to see. I am sure you've met someone who looks nothing like the pictures in their profile, either because they were taken many years ago, or because they are too edited.

If your picture is from five years ago, the employer won't be able to recognise you, and he will have the wrong impression of what you look like.

And if your picture is heavily edited, it will look abnormal, and it will make you look like someone else. Finally, it is very important that your profile picture, looks exactly like you look like on a daily basis (your current hair colour and length, glasses, everyday makeup, etc.).

Choose a non-distracting background

Avoiding a distracting background might sound easy and obvious, but a lot of people forget about it. Using a background changer can help with this.

It is important, that you're standing infront of a monochrome or -even better-white wall, outside in nature, or in a white empty space. Just remember, you need a simple background, so that you will be the "main character" of the photo.

Wear your favorite work outfit

Your outfit, might not appear completely in your LinkedIn photo, but it affects it. Imagine the difference between wearing a blue serius suit, and a pale t-shirt.

That's why, you should wear what you would wear at work. That way, the employer will know you're serious and responsible, and that you respect your office's dress code.

What you wear also affects the way your face looks at the photo.

You have to pick a color that looks good with your skin tone or your hair color, so that it will bring up your face.

Choose the right expression

Your profile picture can reflect your character.

You want to show to employers that you're hardworking and that you take your job seriously, but that you're also an interesting and lively person.

It is important for someone who has never met you before, to see you smiling (if the job you're looking for requires that).

If your brand is more serious, it's okay to look a little more serious in the photo. But generally speaking, smiling, can make you look more optimistic, happy, and approachable.

Make sure your face covers most of the frame

A picture of you next to a friend, or of you climbing a cliff, or even an "outfit pic" might be great for your social media platforms, but not for your LinkedIn profile.

Instead, try to cover most of the frame with your face.

It would be ideal if you cropped the picture from the top of your shoulders -so that you will barely be able to see the top you're wearing-so that the employer can focus on your face.

As obvious as it sounds, it's necessary that you are the only person in the photo. You don't want employers to be unsure about which person is you.

That's why you should pick a solo photo for your LinkedIn profile.

Edit your picture properly

You can make your profile photo look vivid and professional, with the right image editing (for free online).

Make the colors pop, crop the useless things, develop a filter of your own, make your background blurry (without messing up yourself), and whatever else you want.

But be careful not to edit your photo too much.

It's important that your picture looks normal, but also vivid and interesting.