How To Choose A Good Profile Photo On LinkedIn and Facebook

Nowadays it is extremely important to have a very well-done profile picture, both for business sites and personal social media accounts.

No matter where you post it, your image must be flawless and convey the right message. In this article, we show you how to take a proper profile picture and what mistakes you need to avoid to make a good impression on those around you!

LinkedIn profile picture

Employers will look not only at your previous skills and professional experience but also at your image. For this reason, your profile picture should look like a credible, confident, and professional person that anyone would like to have in their office.

Here are the main rules you should follow when creating a profile picture on your business sites, according to the advice of Business Insider specialists:

Use a recent photo

It is important to update not only your professional experience but also the picture in your resume. If someone calls you for an interview, the employer will be surprised to see the differences between how you are now and the picture of you 10 years ago. He may be wondering why you posted such a misleading photo.

You should be the only subject in the photo

Being a professional profile photographer should focus on you. Therefore, objects, pets, or other people should not be found in the profile picture.

It is also important that your image is clear. The background may be a little out of focus, but your facial features should look great. Make sure there are no shadows to darken your face!

Wear appropriate clothing

You need to keep an eye on the target audience for this photo. Being a professional photo, you must have a business outfit or at most a business casual. You have to look like a business meeting.

In addition to proper clothing, men should be freshly shaved and women should NOT wear excessive makeup and wear massive jewelry. A photo of you on holiday, at a party, or in the park is NEVER posted on business profiles.

Pay attention to posture and facial expression

Experts say that women tend to bow their heads in photos, and this makes them seem less confident. It is essential to keep your head and shoulders straight in your profile picture to look like a self-confident person.

It is also important to have a pleasant facial expression. This means that you should not be too frowning or serious.

This way, you should avoid looking sad and upset, but you shouldn't laugh out loud. Instead, try to adopt a relaxed attitude.

The perfect Facebook profile picture: rules of good "behavior"

The image is worth a thousand words, so in most cases when you see a profile picture, you immediately form an opinion about that person.

Without wanting to judge her, and in a matter of seconds, you decide if you like her or if she trusts you. A well-taken photo can give you more opportunities (job, relationship, etc.), so it is extremely important to know how to create a pleasant first impression.

If you think that your Facebook profile is personal and has nothing to do with your professional skills, the specialists contradict you. Nowadays, many employers follow the social media pages of their candidates to find out as many details about them as possible.

Major companies need reliable employees, people who behave appropriately both professionally and personally. Therefore, be careful what you post on Facebook, Instagram, or other accounts, as it may hinder your career.

Here are some things to keep in mind when creating your Facebook profile picture:

Show your face

The face has a strong impact on human interactions, so it needs to be in your profile picture. Various studies on the psychology of images have shown that looking at faces is an essential element of indirect interactions, as it helps to establish a successful communication relationship.

Of course, every person has passions that they would like to show, but experts say that the profile picture is not the right place to do it. Instead, you can put them in the wallpaper.

Frame your face well and use contrasts

Some profile photos are too close to the camera, while others are taken too far away.

Make sure your face is properly framed in the photo so that it fills most of the image. However, keep in mind that people should also see some background.

In terms of colors, it is good to use contrasting shades to help you stand out.

Since blue is the basic color of Facebook, you can use warm colors to make yourself more visible. You can opt for various shades of orange, red, green, or yellow.

Smile

A smile makes you look more pleasant, open, and sociable, so it is recommended that you smile in your profile picture. However, it is good to be careful about the way you smile.

It is usually not recommended to laugh out loud. Specialists advise you to adopt a smile as natural as possible, in which you can only see your teeth or open your mouth very little.

Do not use group photos or selfies

As with business profiles, it's a good idea not to use pictures of multiple people (children, family, friends), pets, or objects in your Facebook profile picture. The picture should focus only on you.

As for selfies, they are not usually suitable for your profile picture. If you still want to pose for yourself, you might want to try to take a picture so that it doesn't look like it was taken by you. This way, it will look much more professional!

Don't overdo it with filters

Your picture should be as natural as possible, so you shouldn't resort to too many filters. Even if you find it tempting to use them and you think you look better with them, it's not okay to post a photo on your profile that doesn't look like you at all.

To get a successful photo, turn to lights and a professional camera, but don't distort your image.