As a professional when you apply for a job you would have already poured over your resume and edited it a few times. Some would even hire a professional to help articulate their work history. Hours and hours of effort to make your resume pop out on top. Or as a business owner your attempts to research and look up your peers or prospective business associates will almost always land up on a social media site and most definitely on LinkedIn.

“Have you ever wondered why some profile grab your attention on the search page instantly? ”

Your first communication with anyone trying to know you better is your profile photograph. Your choice of the profile picture will bring you across as too casual, too stern, approachable, friendly or just plain bored. What impression your profile photograph makes during those first few seconds most certainly influences others to read on further about you.

Have you ever wondered why some profile grab your attention on the search page instantly? Most people tend to remember stories better if they are accompanied with an illustration or an image. Plain text makes for a dry read. Humans are predominantly visual creatures. Our brain is wired to process images thousands of times faster than text. Similarly adding an image to your profile gives a face to the resume.

Your groomed and vetted resume cannot be supported by a randomly picked photograph. Your photograph has to be the best you. A professionally done headshot not only gets attention but it most certainly becomes a talking point at times too. A profile photo that makes a statement about the individual will always stand out of the crowd and grab attention.

If you have an account on both LinkedIn and Facebook; take a moment and compare the two profiles. You should “see” two personalities of the same person. One – a professional individual while the other comes across as little relaxed and casual weekend version. Which profile image of yours really does justice to you? Glance across your connections you will mostly see either recycled passport images or some casual solo image.

Get out there and get yourself a professional headshot and see the confidence boost your profile gets with it. Your profile will never be just another profile on LinkedIn.