Having just come across a ‘person you may know’ on LinkedIn, I was somewhat surprised to see this photo come up and it was a lady that works in the legal sector, I have covered her face to save her embarrassment. It made me rush to the keyboard and drop what I was doing to discuss the Do’s and Don’ts of a photo for your LinkedIn profile.
You need to remember that the photo you use for your LinkedIn profile reflects your business, you may think you look great on the night out with the lads, or in a bikini on your latest holiday – but is this really the way you want to represent you and your business?
The same goes with your drunken photo, you may have had a great night out with your friends and picked up a few numbers of potential dates, but what attracts the opposite sex to you in a nightclub is unlikely to be what attracts potential clients to your business.
When it comes to LinkedIn you need to be professional and look professional, you can look friendly and smile – it’s not your passport photo after all, but it still needs to represent your business so you need to look like someone that can be trusted and they can rely on.
Your profile photo is a great way of connecting – looking at the camera means it looks like you are looking at the potential client so they can build a relationship with you. In this modern day people buy people, they can buy your product or service anywhere but there will always be a reason they will buy from you and often that is because they can connect with you.
If you are looking for someone to work with, that is in the legal sector and you see their photo on LinkedIn is a lot of cleavage and perhaps more glamour than professional is that the sort of person you would want to work with?
It may attract the men, but professionally it may not do you any favours.
