Should You Put A Photo On A Resume

How Do I Put A Picture On My Resume Online

To add a photo to your resume, log in to your account and click in to edit your resume. From there, click in to the first section called Personal Details. On your personal information section, youll see the option to upload a photo. You can also upload different photos for different resumes within the same account.

Long Paragraphs Of Text

If you look at resumé samples, none of them show solid walls of text. Rather, effective resumés have easy-to-read bullet points that go right to the point. Hiring managers have little time to read resumés thoroughly. So bullet points organised under subheads help hirers quickly judge if you belong to the short list. Remember to include keywords throughout your resumé consult the job ad, job title, and industry-specific lingo to come up with the right keywords.

Attach Your Business Card

One way to skirt the rules of adding a photo directly to your resume is by paper-clipping your business card to your resume. Since some business card formats include a photo, attaching one to your resume is a great way to subtly factor your appearance into the hiring process.

This method is especially effective after meeting a potential employer at a networking event. The picture on your business card will help them remember you, potentially giving you an edge to be called in for an interview.

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Should You Put Your Photo On A Resume

In todays tough job market, you need anything to make your resume stand out from the rest. Some cutting-edge job seekers are actually adding photos on a resume in an attempt to make their applications more memorable. While some experts think this is a savvy strategy, others consider putting your photo on a resume to be a poor career move. Below, we look at both the positive and negative aspects of putting your photo on a resume.

Should You Put Your Photo On Your Resume

One of my executive resume clients asked me to include their photo on their resume.

My initial reaction? Not a good idea.

My reason? In North America, it is not common practice to include a photo on a resume. It is often discouraged by employers.

A photo can set a job seeker up for discrimination, and many employers do not need or want a picture to accompany this file.

However, what if a job seeker insists on including one? Should it be allowed ? Can a photo be more personal and help someone stand out in their job application, or is it a major disadvantage?

I took this question to LinkedIn to ask the experts and here is what some of them had to say:

Bob McIntosh : NO! While we advise our clients to sport a photo on their profile, it is of no benefit to include one on your resume. This can hurt you in so many ways based on differences in ageyoung and oldgender, race, facial appearance, etc. Just a bad idea Yet another consideration is HR and recruiters being wary of lawsuits, as some have expressed regarding LinkedIn profiles. In terms of the LinkedIn profile, whos to say how many people have been immediately eliminated because of their photo. Photos are just a bad thing all around. Now if were talking about certain occupations that rely on ones looks, thats a different matter.

Meaghan Dill : Too personal! I am more interested in what you can do and what you have done dont use precious space on something that cant tell me what youre capable of.

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Regardless Of My Cv Photo Ill Be Judged On My Experience

While some experts will tell you that every CV with a photo will end up in the bin, I know thats not true. Unless theres something off-putting about your photo, most employers wont typically bin your CV without also glancing over your qualifications and experience. Most.

On the flip side, I have put CVs with photos in the bin, based on the fact that the type of person who includes such a terrible or inappropriate photo is not the type of person Im looking for. If youre going to include a photo, choose your photo carefully.

What Picture To Put On Your Resume

The type of resume photo you choose largely depends on the position youre applying for. In general, the aim is to appear professional. Wearing formal clothes and taking a headshot with a serious face or a soft smile is normally effective.

However, try to mirror the company. Do some research and if youre applying for a job at a more relaxed company, your photo should reflect this. You should wear more casual clothes and smile. Whichever style of photo you choose you should make sure its high-resolution and high-quality.

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Does Using A Resume Photo Or Not Really Matter

In todays increasingly digital world, does it really matter whether or not you put your picture on your resume? After all, unless you have a common name , your social media profiles are only a short Google search away.

In short, the answer is yes it does matter.

If its common practice to keep resume pictures off your application documents, you should still stick to convention and exclude it.

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‘no Photo On Your Resume’ And Other Career Advice You Should Question

Some career experts will tell you that you should never, ever put your photo on your resume.

In the end, deciding whether to put your photo on a resume is a symbol of larger issues that you need to figure out for yourself, rather than delegating out to know-it-alls like myself.

Lets look at some advice that seems to typify the no photo rule for resumes. One prominent columnist wrote last year that, if you use a photo, youll come across as naïve and unprofessional.

Another career expert wrote a few years ago:

Its illegal to consider factors like age, race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability status in hiring decisions. So hiring authorities prefer to not officially know whether youre a member of one of these protected classes. If you put a photo on your resume, you reveal some of these details. If the employer later interviews you but doesnt hire you, it opens the possibility of a discrimination claim. Some companies will even flat-out reject resumes with photos, just to avoid that potential accusation.

Now lets break down the problems with this thinking, shall we?

1. We now live in a visual, multimedia age.

Certainly, a resume is different from an article. But in our new day, we have all become far more visual in our communications. It allows us to match names and faces.

2. Most people don’t get a great job from a front-line HR person anyway.

The no-photo advice would be terrific advice, if we could be certain that:

If Youre Going To Include A Cv Photo

make it recent and professional. Have it taken professionally to put you in the best light if you can. Choose smart-casual clothes, minimal or natural-looking make up and a positive-but-not-too-enthusiastic expression. Whilst you dont want to bust out a goofy smile, you dont want to look like someone just stole all your Christmas presents either. Here are some example headshots that hit the right balance:

Browse through our collection of free CV templates and find your perfect CV now!

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Should You Really Put Your Photo On Your Resume

Yes, well, maybe.

Hows that for being definitive?

OK, I lean towards a no on the resume photo argument.

My hesitation is that it is still not that common to see photos on resumes in Australia.

So if you have a photo on your resume, you do run the risk of running into someone like me. I have to confess that when I was a recruiter I used to see a photo on a resume and say hmmmm I wonder why theyve put that on their resume or thats really not a flattering colour.

Bad Examples Of Photos For Resume

Using Novorésumé’s intuitive resume builder, you can easily add or remove the photo from your resume according to the country/company you are applying for. If you deleted the profile photo option and wish to add it back, you can easily click on Layout in the top menu and from there select Photo back.

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How To Paste Your Picture On A Resume

A resume photo is usually a 2×2 inch square or passport size and is pasted on the top part of your resume.

Its customary to place it in the upper corners, as it leaves plenty of room to include your contact information and profile.

However, these suggestions are not set in stone and in some modern resumes the picture can go center top and can be circular or other shapes instead of a square.

When choosing where to place your resume head shot, just keep in mind that it should be placed in the top third of your resume. Including it anywhere else might get your resume rejected by the ATS.

Also, resumes with pictures are usually submitted in color. Because of this, its a good idea to print a copy of your resume in order to verify that it will look good as a hard-copy version.

How To Show Your Photo Without Including It On Your Resume

Donât want to risk your chances by including your profile photo on your resume, but still want to leave a personable impression? Donât worry! There are ways to do this without including your profile photo on your resumeâ

A. List your professional social media accounts on your resume

Direct employers to your LinkedIn page and other professional social media accounts you may have. Ideally, you would have a professional profile photo on those platforms, at least on LinkedIn. You can follow the tips from above for social media profile photos as well.

This way, you can allow employers to put a face to your name and remember you better without displaying your photo on your resume.â

B. Put down your website or portfolio link

If you have a website or a digital portfolio, show it on your resume and direct employers to the link. Not only can you include a profile photo on your website, but you can also include any photos from previous work or education experience you want employers to see.

Not only is this going to make you more memorable, but this can also give employers a better picture of who you are as a person. â

C. Attach your business card

If you wish, you can staple your business card together with your resume You can take advantage of the business card and include a professional photo on there if you donât want to directly include it on your resume.

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Should I Include A Profile Photo On My Resume In 2021

To include or not to include â that is the question.

A good resume is your golden ticket to your dream job. It is important to effectively present yourself and your experience on your one-page resume. One might ask — should I present myself with a photo on my resume or just text?

When you ask your peers or mentors, you are likely to get diverging opinions. The results are even more blurred when you seek help from Google.

The answer to this frequently asked question is that it depends â very similar to the GPA dilemma. Youâre probably tired of hearing this answer over and over again. However, when deciding whether to include your photo on your resume, it is especially important to consider the circumstance as it can make or break your chances of landing a position. In this guide, we will dive into the various scenarios when you should or should not include your profile photo on your resume and examples of good and bad profile photos.

Should You Include A Photo On Your Cv

If you are wondering if you should include a photo on your CV, here are a few things to consider.

If you are applying for a job in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden or the United States, you should not add a photo to your CV. The simple reason being that companies in those countries must be able to ensure that their hiring processes are free from any bias. This means that companies in those countries are usually very cautious and prefer to see CVs without photos.

You can, however, include a photo on your CV if you are applying for a job in other European countries. This means that here in Spain, the decision is entirely yours.

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Argument: A Picture On A Resume Might Potentially Work Against You

If you decide to include a photo on your resume, make sure its one that does you justice.

It should be a professional, passport-style headshot.

Also, photos on resumes can confuse the ATS that some companies use to filter resumes.

This software automatically scans and pans your resume for keywords and a photo could potentially hinder this process.

This might cause your resume not to be accepted. You dont want that. Be aware of this when applying for a job in large corporationsthey get hundreds of resumes daily and employ the ATS in order to speed up the process of hiring new people.

Christys word of advice

In many English-speaking countries, photos should NOT be included on your resume . This is to avoid potential bias or discrimination, and ATS will remove it anyway from your candidate profile. However, things are done very differently in other countries, where a photo IS expected . While recruiters can of course check out your image on LinkedIn or social media, I advise you to follow the conventions of the country youre applying to, to show that you understand local application practices.

Christy Morgan, Resident HR Expert

How Do I Add A Picture To My Resume

Here are three simple ways to include a photo on your resume if you insist on using one or if you need to use one for your industry.

1. Take a clean, professional headshot.

First things first, if you’re going to include a photo on your resume, make sure that it’s clean and professional. Get a headshot taken by a professional photographer. Don’t just use a selfie or a photo from your social media. The photo should be of your face from the chest up at most. It should be on a plain background that’s simple and easy to look at. And it should be appropriate, meaning you should be dressed as you would on the job.

2. Size the photo for the top corner of your resume.

What size should a photo be on a resume? It should be small enough to not take up valuable space, but big enough to show who you are. Many people include photos that only take up a small corner of their resume no more than two inches by two inches, and often even smaller. The photo shouldn’t be longer than your header.

3. Include a separate portfolio of photos if you have to.

If your job calls for pictures of yourself , you’ll want to have a separate portfolio of photos of yourself that you can link to from your resume or that you can include as an attachment with you resume. You don’t want to clutter your resume with pictures of yourself that’s precisely what portfolios for these kinds of visual fields are for!

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Your Photo Could Be Used Against You

While it’s illegal to not hire someone because of their photo , you don’t want to risk your photo being used against you especially if you don’t have a professional headshot. If a recruiter or hiring manager really wants to find out what you look like, they can likely find your photo on your LinkedIn profile instead.

Should You Put A Photo On Your Cv

One notable challenge in an international career search is how best to create a curriculum vitae or resume that conforms with local norms. CV formats vary widely from country to country, and if you want your job application to be taken seriously, yours needs to follow the right layout. A frequent question when applying abroad is whether you should provide a photo with your CV, when it is not specified in the job announcement.

Differences in CV styles are based in part on cultural preferences. Increasingly, however, a CVs contents are also dictated by laws restricting what personal information employers are permitted to ask an applicant. And in this case, photos play a big role. Personal photos potentially reveal a lot about you gender, age, ethnicity, religion, physical characteristics. In many countries, employers may not be allowed to solicit this information directly.

This leaves international jobseekers in something of a quandary: refuse to include a personal photo on your CV in a country where its expected, and you risk having your application disregarded as unserious. Add a headshot in a locale where photos are never provided, and you appear unprofessional or naive.

Here are some general guidelines that will help you decide when to send a photo with your CV:

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