Have you seen some of the profile pictures that are getting around on Linked In at the moment? Some of them are so inappropriate for Linked In that they make me recoil and definitely not accept a request for connection!
Last week, I received a connection invitation from some guy standing next to his highly polished red convertible – it rang out as “Warning – mid-life crisis ahead!” Maybe if I was a second hand car dealer it may have been of interest, but I doubt it!
Or there’s the one with the mum, her three kids playing around her and a line on her profile “looking for new opportunities” – as a mother myself, I understand this one, but save the personal photos for Facebook. If, as a mum, you are out there looking for new opportunities in a workplace, your kids are not what your potential employer wants to see…not straight away anyway!!
Linked In is a professional networking platform, and that must be remembered when establishing your profile and posting updates.
Your photo is the first thing on your profile that others will see – and will often be the deciding factor as to whether people will look into your profile further or not. It doesn’t mean you need to be gorgeous – it just needs to be right.
Your profile picture should be a head shot – your head (and shoulders) should take up most of the photo – putting a full length photo of yourself in the little thumbnail will mean that people will not be able to recognize your face!
The photo should be recent – meaning that although you may love that shot of you taken ten years ago when you were on a beach in Borneo, you may have changed since then…you need to be recognizable!
Although a professional photograph is best – it is not necessary, but ensure that the photo is in good focus, not blurred, has reasonably good lighting and is not too busy. Selfies are never a good idea!
The photo should be reflective of you, the way you are – natural – a warm friendly smile will encourage others to engage with you. Keep it simple – avoid busy backgrounds and props.
Then the question is what to wear!? This depends on what field you are in. if you are in a creative arty space, then a suit would not only look farcical but also it would not represent you or the people that you want to be recognised by. Dress in your work attire, or what you wear to an interview for a potential job. Some say you should always dress one or two positions above the position you are going for in an interview – this is a pretty good rule of thumb.
And some key specifications:
Maximum file size: 10MB
Pixel Size: Between 400 x 400 pixels and 20000 x 20000 pixels
File Type: PNG, JPEG or GIF