Nowadays, the situation on the labour market is changing dynamically. If you are currently looking for a job or considering changing your present job position – you will certainly find a lot of valuable information and tips in this article. Is it really important to put a photo on resume?

This blog post is directed to candidates and job seekers. From the article you will get to know:

  1. How to apply for your dream job?
  2. How to prepare application documents and what to present in your resume?
  3. Should you add your picture, is it really important to keep it on your CV?
  4. What are the key information you should apply to your CV?

All you need to know about photo for cv

The Resume is meant to display what makes you a great candidate. It should contain information about your skills, expertise, knowledge and achievements. A picture can distract Recruiter and Hiring Managers from your relevant skills and experience. If recruiters/hiring managers would need and/or want to see you, they’ll be able to view the pictures on your social media profiles or meet you face-to-face during an interview. So should candidates include photos in their application or should they not? This question is always asked by candidates. I often advised them that it is not really important to have it on their resume. Recruiters should not have doubts about it.

As a Hiring Authority you should never make hiring decisions based on the candidate look or photo (it is totally irrelevant). You should always have a deeper look at the candidate’s CV and take into account their skills, expertise, knowledge and potential that the candidate can bring into the organization.

Resume without photo

Surprisingly there are places in the world where you do not have to send your resume with a photo at all. Please find list of some countries where you do not include a photo in the resume:

  • United Kingdom
  • Ireland
  • United States

The reasons for not including a professional photo on your resume in these countries is simple: strict anti-discrimination and labour laws. Companies must be able to prove that their hiring processes are free from any profiling based on race, gender, age, appearance, etc. So, out of precaution, they prefer not to see the candidate’s photos on the CV. But if you apply for the role and add your photo you will not be rejected for doing this.

TIP NO 1.

There are also some exceptions to this rule, such as the case of applying for modelling or acting jobs!

Where to take a resume photo?

There are also countries where you will have to include a photo to your resume:

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • France
  • Germany
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • Scandinavian Countries
  • Middle East
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • South America

Including a photo on your resume is generally recommended in the countries above, even if employers don’t ask for one. Hiring authorities in those countries stated that having photos on the resumes help them know the applicant better. In some countries such as Germany it is customary to include a photo on your CV and they are very strict about it. Research I read shows that 67% of resumes without photographs fall through – and are not considered – by the headhunters or recruiters.

However, bear in mind that customs vary by organisation, and national standards are subject to change. Therefore, some employers may ask you not to include a photo with your application, in which case, you should abide.

What photo to use for resume? 

If you do opt to include a photo on your resume, the recommended place is at the top of the page. The photo should be a professional headshot, similar to or the same as the one you used for your LinkedIn profile. Below I am sharing guidelines for getting your photo right for your resume.

Pick the Photographer.

You can hire a professional photographer but if you don’t want to go to the expense of hiring a professional- simply ask your friend or family member (who knows how to handle a camera) to take several shots of you.

Take a Selfie.

If no one is available to take your photo, you can always take a web shot of yourself using your computer’s camera (if you have one). If you’ve got a phone with a high-quality camera, you can take a selfie. Make sure it looks professional before you use it.

Use a Headshot.

Your photo should only be of your head, neck, and possibly the top of your shoulders. If you include your entire body, your head will simply look too small.

Dress Professionally.

This means a dress shirt for men; a dress, blazer, or nice blouse for women; or a suit for either gender.

Keep it Simple.

Your photo should be the image of you. Do not include objects, pets, or children. Avoid busy backgrounds. As a background use a solid-colored, light background.

Photo on resume – yes or no?

Apart from the information I found online I also decided to conduct a survey on LinkedIn to see how people would reply on this question: ”A photo on your CV – hot or not”. I got 130 votes just in a few days! 70% of them said No so the message is clear – putting a photo on your CV is not needed and does not guarantee you will get a job.

Photo on resume – good or bad? Real opinions.

Apart from votes I also got some interesting comments such as:

“I believe that placing a picture in the CV where we describe our experience will only distract the recruiter from the relevant information. When we want to mark our professional appearance it is worth to do it in the presentation.”

“Requiring a photo seems outdated and unnecessary because professional and social networks often make that information available anyway (which was not the case 10+ years ago).”

“That being said, I believe that a good photo, or at least linking to a professional network profile with a picture, can help to stand out. But bad / unprofessional pictures have the opposite effect.”

“I feel the same about LinkedIn profiles – showing a professional profile picture (not a passport-type photo!) is very positive; not showing one is somewhat negative; showing a bad / unprofessional one is very negative”

TIP NO 2.

Keep in mind that recruiters are also likely to search for you online either through Google or social media platforms. Therefore, they will probably catch a glimpse of you even if you don’t include a resume photo and photo is not really needed on your resume.

Photo on cv – conclusion

Whether it’s needed or not, a photo on your resume could result in discrimination on the basis of race, age, gender or other factors. I think your CV should describe your personal career journey and should be a tool to help you secure a job interview – don’t give a potential employer any reason to ignore your skills and experience by focusing on your appearance. If they do so they are not worth becoming your employer. Remember about it creating your career path!

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