I talk a lot about how important professional profile pictures are, so I wanted to share some guidelines to help you decide what to wear for your professional profile picture or headshot. There is no one right answer for everyone as your clothing and appearance largely depends on your industry and dress code. Again, these are guidelines to give you a better idea of what clothing will give off the image you’re going for.
Think about what you wear to work on a daily basis (or what you want to wear to work)
When you’re trying to decide what to wear for your professional profile picture or headshot, think about what you wear to work, or if you’re trying to shift roles or fields, think about what you want to be wearing to work. What to wear for your professional profile picture or headshot largely depends on your industry as your profile picture should reflect the same appearance and vibe that you give off at the office.
The goal of a professional profile picture or headshot is to help people put a face to your name, so you want to be sure and look the same in your photo as you do when you go to work.
If you wear a suit every day to work (think law offices, academics, or government jobs) you’ll want to wear a suit in your profile picture. If you’re in the tech world or another field where the dress code is much more casual, wear something reflective of that.
Keep in mind that if you do wear casual clothing in your professional profile photo, you must maintain a professional appearance. Casual doesn’t mean that you just rolled out of bed. Make sure that all of your clothing is clean and wrinkle free.
Browse your colleague’s photos
This is where you can put your Facebook and Instagram stalking skills to good use! Go on LinkedIn and browse through your colleague or professional counterparts’ profiles to get a better feel for what you should wear. If you see a lot of people with a similar role as you dressing more formally, use that as a guideline (or vice versa). While it’s important to keep your current company dress code in mind, if you notice that most people with your job title at different companies dress more formally or casually than you, consider this when you are deciding what to wear for your professional profile picture or headshot. If you’re looking for a new position, you’ll want to appear fit for the role amongst various companies.
Consider the background and where you’ll be taking the picture
When you’re deciding what to wear for your professional profile picture or headshot, consider the background. Either reach out to the photographer and ask what the background will look like, or if you’re having a friend or family member take your photo, think about what background you want to use.
You don’t want to wear clothing that completely blends into the background, or else you’ll end up with the floating head look for your picture. If you’re going to have a darker background, opt for a lighter color from the waist up, and if you’re going to go with a lighter background, wear a color that’s at least a couple of shades darker than the background.
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Deciding what to wear for your professional profile picture or headshot can be overwhelming, but just think about what you wear to work and what makes you feel confident. If you feel confident in what you’re wearing, you’ll look confident in your photo!