It’s the dreaded ambiguous gray box of a profile with no picture. It’s not pretty and it’s not inviting to colleagues, hiring managers, or potential clients. Luckily, it’s a completely quick and easy fix.
Social media is all about being “social,” so to start you need to give people an image to relate to you by. Don’t pull out a photo from 10 years ago. Don’t use a photo that shows you with a significant other, children, pets, or doing something recreational, unless that image – and the feeling it conveys – matches your profession A dog groomer may benefit by having a dog in her photo to catch the eye interested in dog grooming services, for example.
Make the effort to get a current photo taken and uploaded. You don’t need to have a professional publicity photo taken if that doesn’t match your brand and the industry you work in, but it does have to look like you are a professional. Think about the brand image you are trying to project and have your photo match that.
Dress neatly, smile, and look approachable and friendly. Choose a neutral background. Again, if you’re a ski instructor, then it may be suitable to wear goggles and to see the lift and hills behind your photo. If not, then go for an appropriately neutral back drop. Keep in mind that LinkedIn’s photo space is square and it’s small, so try to take one that will crop nicely while leaving you completely visible.