In this video, I'm going to teach you the do's and don'ts of a LinkedIn profile
photo. Hi there. I'm Heather Austin from professoraustin.com and The Career
Club on Facebook and on this channel I teach simple solutions to help you
launch a career you love so if you're new here consider subscribing. Before we
get into the nitty-gritty, let me just say that your profile is 14 times more
likely to be viewed and nine times more likely to receive a connection request
if you have a high-quality professional photo. We know that connection requests
lead to higher quality career opportunities so my friends, you can't
wait any longer ,if you are looking to land a new career opportunity or more
clients, you need to master this list of do's and don'ts of a LinkedIn profile
photo. Let's get started! The first DO is to smile in your photo. Show your
teeth. Did you know that your smile can be a predictor of how long you live? Yes!
It's been proven that the more you smile the longer you will live. We are
naturally attracted to those that smile. It shows authority and it makes others
think that you know what's going on around you. You want your smile to be
natural and not forced. Here's a tip. Before your photo is snapped, say a word
that ends in a. For example, ninja, papa pizza. The next DO is to have the neutral
or a solid color background. Here's something else to consider. Try testing a
bright colored background but with a neutral colored shirt. If you do this,
make sure the clothing you're wearing does not overpower the image.
The next DO is to make sure that you are wearing clothing appropriate to your
industry. For men, my recommendation is to wear a dress shirt
with a tie. If that's too formal, try wearing just a collared shirt. For women, I
like to recommend a nice blouse and possibly even a blazer to go over the
blouse. The next DO is to make sure your photo is taken from the elbow up. This
allows a hiring manager, a recruiter or a potential client to fully connect with
you in the image. Let's jump into the don'ts of a LinkedIn profile photo. The
first DON'T would be to don't hold your favorite furry friend. Believe it or
not, I see this frequently. This might be okay on a more informal social platform.
When it comes to LinkedIn, you don't want to have your pet in the picture with you.
The next DON'T' would be to don't use an outdated photo. You don't want to confuse
your connection if they meet you face-to-face.
Make sure your photo is recent. The next DON"T is don't look away from the camera.
This becomes very distracting to your audience and it can even give the
message that you are shy, that you're a pushover or that you're indifferent. Make
eye contact with the camera. This gives the message that you are confident and
assertive and that you are open to new opportunities. This also makes your
audience feel like they are making direct contact with you. The next DON'T
is don't wear a hat or sunglasses and if this is a problem for you
DON'T appear overly sexy in your profile photo. Here's a bonus tip for you. The
ideal size for your profile photo is 400 pixels high by 400 pixels wide and you
also want to make sure it's either in a JPG or PNG format. Here's another bonus
tip for you. If you can and it fits in your budget, my recommendation would be
to use a local photographer to take your photo or go to a local shopping center.
Normally they have a studio or a system set up to quickly snap a
shot. If that's not an option for you, you can use your smartphone. My
recommendation here would be to use this side of your lens rather than the front
side of your lens and I would actually recommend having someone take the photo
for you. You'll actually get a more clear shot. Let's recap! When it comes to a
LinkedIn profile photo, here are your do's. Do smile in your photo. Show your
teeth. Do you have a neutral or a solid color background. Do make sure your
appearance is clean and appropriate for your industry and do make sure your
photo is taken from the elbows up. Now let's recap the don'ts. Don't hold your
favorite furry friend. Don't use an old photo. Don't look away from the camera.
Make eye contact and then the last don't is don't wear a hat or sunglasses. So
hopefully these do's and don'ts will help you when you take your next
LinkedIn profile photo. If you want to knock the rest of your LinkedIn profile
out of the park, make sure you take a look at my 10-point LinkedIn Profile
Optimizer cheat sheet. I'll link it up in the description below and if you want to
join business professionals just like you from all around the world, make sure
you take a look at The Career Club on Facebook. A private community design to
help you live your career to the max. I'll provide a link to The Career Club
below this video. So here's a question for you...
What trend have you seen recently in LinkedIn profile photos? Make sure you
comment below and if you know anyone that might benefit from this information
be sure to share this video with them and if you're new to this channel
consider subscribing and hit that like button below. I will see you guys in
the next video. Thanks for tuning in today!