In my last blog I sang the praises of LinkedIn as a way of promoting your personal brand to people you know and, more importantly, people you don’t. To make the most of it, you need a professional profile you can be proud of – something that really makes you stand out from the crowd…but for all the right reasons.
So I’m here to offer some advice, starting with your picture.
The key thing to remember is that, just as much as the written word that accompanies it, this is an opportunity to give people an idea of what you’re all about. My own picture has me looking to the side in what a client once described as ‘professional but cheeky’ – which was great because that’s my brand and that’s what I was aiming to convey.
But it seems there’s a number of people out there who haven’t put quite as much thought into the messages their picture gives. Which is why I’ve decided to put together a ‘rogues gallery’ to highlight the things to avoid with your own profile. To protect the innocent, I’ve used stock photos with models but I guarantee they’re based 100% on actual LinkedIn users.
The Bride
Everyone knows a lady never looks lovelier than on her wedding day, but using a shot of you with a tiara on your head or your hair in some fancy do is not representative of you at work – so why use it? Example: the bride who wore a strapless gown so that when she cropped the picture to her head and bare shoulders, it made it look like she was naked. (Tip: If it really is your favourite photo, try cropping it in further to just your face.)
The Night Out
Along the lines of The Bride, getting glammed up for a night out may see you in your best bib and tucker, but let’s remind ourselves here: it’s a social occasion. You wouldn’t turn up for an interview in a tuxedo or a cocktail dress, so why represent yourself that way now? Example: the woman whose profile picture showed her in a strapless dress with long black gloves that made her look like a person done for soliciting rather than the solicitor she was.
NB Also applies to holiday snaps; seeing you in beachwear is not an image I need if you want me to take you seriously in business!
The Snap and Crop
Usually taken with a camera phone whilst having a good time with your mates, this is the shot that’s better suited for Facebook than a professional profile on LinkedIn. Example: the man whose photo was taken cheek to cheek with his wife. He cropped her out but was left with what looked like an unfortunate growth on the side of his head.
The Dynamic Duo
The photo’s been taken at an event where you were with someone else, but the cropping function seems to be beyond you and so you’ve uploaded the picture with both of you in. Example: the picture I saw of two guys in front of an exhibition stand. Trouble is, I’ve no idea which one is the person whose profile it is!
NB Also applies to couples pictures. Yes, I understand I’ll often know which one’s you from your gender, but this is your profile, not your other half’s!
The Status Symbol
You’ve had your picture taken with a status symbol – a fast car, a yacht, etc – and you’ve uploaded it to your profile to say something about you (the insinuation being that it is yours and you’re incredibly wealthy). Either way, your face has ended up so small in the photo I have no idea what you look like so it’s harder to get an idea of who you are. Example: the guy stood next to the Porsche, often made worse if he’s wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap.
NB Also applies to people who try to include their logo in the background and end up including the whole of their reception area in the picture just because that’s where the logo’s on the wall.
The Red Eye
There are enough free tools online to edit your photos so you don’t have ‘red-eye’ – so why do so many people not bother to use them? Example: the guy whose photo was taken while he was doing a presentation in a darkened room, so the flash went off and made him look like Superman with his laser vision.
The Invisible Man
I can’t decide if this is better or worse than having a bad photo – having no photo at all. Either way it’s a missed opportunity for people to connect with you and when people buy people, that’s important.
I could go on, but I think you get the gist: LinkedIn is a business tool and should represent you as you are in business. Which isn’t to say you shouldn’t add personality – in fact, I’d love it if you do – so long as it is adding to your personal brand and not detracting from all the great things you have to offer.
Want to add any other categories to the Rogues Gallery? What’s the worst LinkedIn photo you’ve seen (remember to protect the person’s anonymity please!) And don’t forget to share or tweet this using the buttons below – the more people who know about using LinkedIn to their advantage, the better!
Is anybody there? (or is silence damaging your brand?)
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Dress code? What dress code?
LinkedIn invitations – 5 tips to make it personal
Is Twitter getting on top of you?
The age-old adage that you only have one chance to create a brilliant first impression has become ever more apparent in the fast and unforgiving medium that is social media. You can get away with a lot on Facebook but when your business credibility is at stake it pays to look reassuringly safe and professional. For blokes, a quick look at the websites of shirt makers TM Lewin and Hawes & Curtis give you a pretty good steer on how to look the part. A smart shirt and a friendly smile can win you a huge load of friends in the right places.
This is great! It basically confirms what I’ve been thinking already but at least I know I was on the right lines! I’m invisible at the moment but having spent some time looking at others on Linked In it’s so much easier to remember what they’ve been saying if there is a photograph and to feel connected.
Must get snapping!
Ok, how about the friends coming out of the nightclub after a long evening, or the picture of the adorable puppy. I’ve seen a hamster on the wheel, not sure what that said about his career prospects. But my favourite was the picture of a choir at a concert. Yes, the person was presumably one of those 50 tiny white blobs, but even his Mum wouldn’t know which one.
Thanks for all your comments, and particularly to David for the extra examples – I hadn’t seen the choir but that’s classic! I get that people want to reveal part of their personal brand by giving a clue as to their hobbies – that’s great – but their photo isn’t the place to do it, their summary is.
Instead their photo should let us know what the heck they look like – or as I say, I want to see the whites of their eyes!
my personal favorites are the otherwise professional company directors who’s profile pictures are either them on holiday somewhere (at least i know what you look like in shorts and sandals?) or with his or her children or grandchildren in he shot (i presume the person I’m talking to is the lady in the glasses and not the cheeky four year old!)
This piece made me smile as so many times I tell my career coaching clients to change their pictures on linkedin. One of my clients had a picture of him being kissed in nightclub and the other in his track suit bottoms on the sofa, one is now a Director of a Video gaming company and the other got a job last week in a hedge fund – needless to say they both now have professional headshots on their linkedin profile! I am finding linkedin is becoming an extremely powerful tool in your job search and profile building. Thanks for the post glad the workshop went well (Natalia is a friend of mine)
Hi Jane – thanks for the comment and two more excellent examples of what not to do. It’s lucky there’s people like you and me out there putting others straight to stop them damaging their personal brand!
Hi Jennifer
How do I get my picture to accompany this reply? You are the only person to have a picture next to the comment. If I could get my picture up it would be interesting to hear from everyone that has commented what they think of me just from my picture. All comments good or bad would be gratefully received – I can take it! (I think).
Perhaps everyone could then submit their picture once they knew how.
That’s a very good question as to how you get the pictures to appear. I seem to think it’s because I have a WordPress account and have uploaded my picture into my profile. Do you and could you too?