What To Know About Adding Pictures to Your Resume

A resume picture might seem like a great way to enhance your resume, but what do you need to know before you add one?

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What Is a Resume Picture?

A resume picture is just what it sounds like—a resume that has a picture of you attached to it or featured on it. The purpose of including a resume picture is to show what you look like to recruiters and hiring managers. The concept of attaching or including a headshot with a resume has been around for a while and has oftentimes, been the subject of debate. While some believe a resume picture can help hiring managers connect with job seekers beyond the sheet of paper that makes up their resume. Others note that putting your picture on your resume has the potential to create bias.

The Important Reason To Avoid a Resume Picture

The general consensus these days is that it is not a good idea to include a picture in your professional resume for a number of reasons. Except for very unique circumstances (e.g., you are a model and your resume is intended for modeling agencies or jobs), you should not include your headshot with the resume. Instead, provide a separate portfolio when requested. For the average job seeker, a headshot will not be necessary at all.
 
The main reasons behind this advice are simple. First, a resume is not the best place for your picture. There are many other more effective places to showcase a professional photograph of yourself like on LinkedIn. Second, there are many companies, especially in bias-conscious countries like the U.S., the UK and Canada, where companies discard resumes and cover letters with attached images as a matter of policy. This is partly to do with anti-discrimination regulations and concern about the possibility of bias lawsuits. Another good reason to avoid putting a picture in your resume is that this may impact the way a resume is read by an applicant tracking system (ATS), which can have difficulty scanning resumes with extra graphics and images.
 
If you want to make your resume stand out from the crowd, you don’t need a picture. Instead, focus on creating a resume with strong content. Consider ResumeHelp’s resume writing guide for writing tips that will help you to make your resume ATS-friendly, eye-catching, and easy for you to find success in your job search. Tailoring your resume to the job market and the particular job title you are applying for is crucial.


How To Get the Same Result Without Including a Picture on a Resume

It is undeniably true that a great photo can make a good first impression and help you to land your dream job, but there are more appropriate places for your photo that will be less likely to hinder the hiring process for you. The other places to include your photo are:
 
Professional social media
Professional social media like LinkedIn has revolutionized job search. If you’re tempted to include a resume photo but want to make sure you want to avoid a discriminatory situation, you can always include your social media profile link in your resume header. Just make sure you have a professionally done profile photo; a selfie could do more harm than good.
 
On your business card
If you have a professional business card, you can include a professional headshot on it. Once again, make sure that this is a professional photo, not a selfie. You need to make sure you give the right impression. For example, your photo should show you wearing appropriate business clothing.
 
There are plenty of other things you can do to help your resume stand out without including a photograph. The way you format your resume, its appearance and even the color scheme all impact a hiring manager’s first impression. For this reason, the layout and design of your resume are almost as important as its contents. Here are some examples of ways you can make a strong first impression with your resume:
 
Create a logo for your resume
Creating a logo for your resume is a good way to make a strong first impression without a photo. Place this at the top of your resume and make sure it does not interfere with the wider layout.
 
Choose the right font and margin size
The right font and size are important to the look of your resume as are the margins. Stick to traditional, professional fonts like Arial and Calibri, and aim for a font size of 10.5 to 12. Your margins should generally be one inch all around, but you can lower this to 0.5 of an inch if you need more space.
 
Consider your resume format
Your resume format, or how your resume is organized, says a lot about you as a job seeker. A functional resume with a large skills section gives a different impression than a traditional chronological resume with a large work history section. For more on picking the right resume format, visit our resume formats page.
 
ResumeHelp has a range of professional resume templates you can make use of if you want inspiration. A resume with informative content and the right layout can make all the difference and help you land an interview or even a new job.


FAQ: Resume Pictures

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Q: Should I include a resume picture on a creative resume?

Unless you’re submitting a resume for a job in which physical appearance is important (e.g., an acting or modeling job), you should not include a photo, even a professional photo. Instead, you should send a portfolio separately if it is requested either by the hiring manager or in the job posting.

Q: What makes for a good photo for my job search?

If you want to make a good impression on people by including a photo on your business card or professional social media (such as your LinkedIn profile), you should invest in professional headshots. A professional photographer will be able to provide a quality image that gives a professional aesthetic in a way that a selfie generally won’t.

Q: Is a photograph the best way to showcase my personal branding?

No. While a professional photo can be useful in certain professions, something like a simple but striking header design for your resume will be better in most cases because it also showcases your branding and makes you memorable for recruiters, without running the risk of introducing bias.

 

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