Have you ever wondered what it takes to make a good first impression when you are trying to land a new job or connect with a new client? First impressions are everything.

One of the first places someone will look when they want to get a impression of your career potential is LinkedIn. For that reason, having a professional profile picture uploaded to your LinkedIn account is key!

That’s why I developed this comprehensive list of dos and don’ts of a good LinkedIn profile picture!

If we’ve never met before, I’m Heather Austin from ProfessorAustin.com and The Career Club on Facebook, and here, I share simple solutions to help you build a business or launch a career you love.

FREE LinkedIn Profile Optimizer Cheat Sheet

LinkedIn is the place to be for professionals and job seekers. Let your LinkedIn account help you find and land your dream job. Claim your free LinkedIn Optimizer Cheat Sheet today!

Before we get into it, did you know that…

Your LinkedIn profile is 14x more likely to be viewed and 9x more likely to receive connection requests if you have a good profile picture.

Connection requests are essential for a successful LinkedIn job search, as they lead to higher-quality career opportunities.

If you are on your job search journey or if you are looking for new clients, you need to master this list of dos and don’ts of a good LinkedIn profile picture.

Here’s the neat thing: You can also apply this list of dos and don’ts to your profiles on other social media platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tinder.

The Dos

Do #1 – Smile

Smile and show your teeth. Did you know that your smile can be a predictor of how long you’ll live? We are naturally attracted to people that smile. A smile makes you more approachable, it shows authority and it makes people think you know what’s going on around you. To make your smile more natural, say a word that ends in “a,” such as “zebra,” “papa,” “ninja.”

Do #2 – Have a Neutral or Solid Color Background

Keep your background neutral and/or a solid color, as a busy background can be distracting. Here’s something else to consider: Try a brightly-colored background. If you do this, make sure the clothing you wear is neutral and does not overpower the picture.

Do #3 – Wear Clothing Appropriate for Your Industry

Make sure your appearance is clean and professional. For men, my recommendation is to wear a dress shirt with a tie. If this is too formal for your industry, wear a collared shirt. For women, I recommend a blouse, or a blouse with a blazer.

Do #4 – Make Sure Your Picture Is Taken from the Elbows up

This allows your audience to clearly see your face and easily recognize you. This also helps hiring managers, a recruiters, and potential clients to fully connect with you in the picture.

The Don’ts

Don’t #1 – Hold Your Favorite Furry Friend

Believe it or not, I see this frequently. This might be okay on a more informal social platform, but when it comes to LinkedIn, you don’t want your pet in the picture with you. Also, don’t have a friend or your child in the picture. Remember, your LinkedIn profile is all about you.

Don’t #2 – Don’t Use an Outdated Picture.

An outdated picture will confuse your connection if you ever meet with him or her face-to-face. You want your profile picture to clearly represent you. It’s best to use a picture that has been taken within the past 2 years.

Don’t #3 – Don’t Look Away from the Camera

This is very distracting to your audience and can give the impression that you are shy, that you are a pushover, or that you are indifferent. Make eye contact with the camera. This shows that you are open to new experiences, confident, and assertive.

Don’t #4 – Don’t Wear a Hat or Sunglasses

Wearing extra apparel, such as a hat or sunglasses, is unprofessional and distracting to a potential connection. This might work well on a more informal social platform, but not on LinkedIn. Keep your profile picture clear of interferences.

Bonus Tip #1

The ideal size for your profile picture is 400px by 400px, and the best file formats are .jpg or .png.

LinkedIn Profile Picture Size

Bonus Tip #2

If it fits into your budget, use a local photographer to take your picture, or visit your local shopping center. They normally have a studio and a system set up to quickly snap your head shot.

If that’s not an option, have someone else take a picture of you using the back camera (not the selfie camera) of a smartphone. The lenses on most smartphones will produce a high-quality picture that you can use for you LinkedIn profile.

FREE LinkedIn Profile Optimizer Cheat Sheet

LinkedIn is the place to be for professionals and job seekers. Let your LinkedIn account help you find and land your dream job. Claim your free LinkedIn Optimizer Cheat Sheet today!