The great resignation is one of those trends everyone is talking about. Employees are reportedly voluntarily leaving their jobs at record rates, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 20 million workers left their job between May and September 2021, most being in the leisure and hospitality industries. As people turn to new jobs, and maybe whole new careers, it might be a good idea to update your headshot.
Psychology of a Headshot
Everyone knows the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and there is research to prove this might be an understatement. Here are several findings. Profiles on LinkedIn receive 21 more profile views and nine times more connection requests if they have a photo on their profile. Furthermore, the quality of the photo and subtle variances are used to judge you within 40 milliseconds. And, the composition, expressions, lighting, they all matter and add to the perception you create.
Here is more proof. It is hard to change a person’s opinion of you, even in person, after they see a photo of you that they used to form a first impression. Other research shows using the best photo of yourself is critical to shaping decisions on if employers might hire you or not. Finally, in other research showing how people use photos to make decisions, 67 percent of respondents in a buying situation specifically say the quality of an image is very important.
The quality, expressions, and overall vibe of your headshot matters. So, as the great resignation is propelling people into new opportunities, a headshots update might be in order. If you are looking to get one, here are three basic but important tips to consider.
Basic Headshot Tip #1 – Get Quality
As referenced above, the quality of the image matters. It is easy to pick up your phone and start looking for a photographer from there but resist it. A phone is a delusion for quality. Photos are generally very small on a phone and when people look at your headshot for business purposes, they will likely be sitting in front of a large display connected to a desktop or maybe a laptop. According to Statista, half of all online usage is being done on a desktop in 2021. You can imagine desktop usage might be considerably amplified over mobile usage if you measured only people online that are working.
So, the quality of your headshot will stand out more when viewed on a desktop. As a result, you should be sure when you are shopping around for a headshot photographer that they demonstrate quality in their portfolio while you view it from your own desktop or laptop computer. Their website should have current images, and plenty of them, for you to measure their quality.
Finally, it is easy to think to use your smartphone or have a friend take the shot. But these results do stand apart as inferior to what a professional headshot looks like. If cost is driving this decision, shop around as headshots are not always many hundreds of dollars. Also, in most cases and unless you are an actor, a headshot is an investment you need only make every couple of years, unless you significantly alter your look sooner.
Basic Headshot Tip #2 – Dress to Impress
A headshot is typically a photograph of your face. It can be from around the waist up or closer. It is usually right around from the chest area at the bottom and with a little bit of the background showing above your head, at the top. So, what you wear typically only matters from the shirt area up.
That said, plan this well. One basic tip is that less is more. The focus of the photo is of your face, not what you are wearing or the accessories you have. Solid colors work well. Colors work well, versus black, white, and gray dominating everything. That does not mean bring your best purple suit or neon poke-a-dot top.
If you have a gray suit, use the tie or a scarf as an opportunity to add color. If you are an actor, avoid only black, white, or gray plain t-shirts. But also avoid busy attire, such as ones that have dominating logos. Go for some contrast in the photo, using the setting to help with this, so your face and hair pop.
Finally, consider dressing for the job or role you want and not the one you have. This can have very different meanings for different careers. If you are an actor looking to branch from commercial to more dramatic or theatrical roles, there are different wardrobes for each. If you are businessperson transitioning from nursing into real estate, you will likely have specific wardrobe changes here too.
Basic Headshot Tip #3 – Use It and Update it As Needed
Finally, once you get headshots, you will likely have a few to choose from. Ask friends and other professionals if they like the one you are using or another one better. Swap some in and out to see if maybe one helps more. Remember, the photo is the first impression of you, on whatever profile you are using it on, be it Actor’s Access, Backstage, LinkedIn, and so on.
One final consideration is to update it if your look changes. For actors, this is obvious. A casting can go bad from the start if you arrive to it looking noticeably different than your headshot. For business professionals too, appearing very different when you finally meet that customer or employer than what you look like on your headshot on the website or LinkedIn can be jarring. That is not a first impression you want to make.
So, if you shorten or lengthen your hair, if you lose or gain noticeable weight, grow or remove facial hair, change hair color, and so on, update your headshot. If you revert back to a look, you can always go back to your previous headshot.
A headshot is an investment. People rarely realize it is a photo of you used to influence financial opportunities directly or indirectly for you – a new job, new gig, new role, and so on. People often just go get one because it is supposedly the thing to do. But it has more impact than you might suspect. So, have one made but do it wisely for good results.
Author BIO:
Rafael L. is an award-winning headshot photographer in the Los Angeles area. He operates The Light Committee studio where he regularly collaborates with actors and other people creating professional headshots.