13 Tips for Choosing Your LinkedIn Profile Photo (and Why You Need One!)

Don’t use an old photo. There are few things worse than meeting someone for the first time and not recognizing them because their profile photo is from several years ago.

Use a photo of you in your profile — don’t use a photo of an object. Also, don’t use an avatar or cartoon photo (like a Bitmoji). Use a real photo of you.

Your photo should include your head and shoulders, not just a close-up of your face. Experts advise your face should take up 60-75% of the frame. Do not use a full body photo.

Don’t include other people in your photos (and don’t crop other people out of your shot — there should not be any errant body parts in your LinkedIn photo!).

Make sure the background in the photo isn’t distracting. Plain backgrounds are better.

Look directly at the camera. A smile can help you radiate warmth and approachability in your photo.

Wear your most complementary color. Bright colors can attract attention, but muted (tan or light olive green) or jewel tones (dark green, navy, or burgundy) will draw attention to you, not your clothes. Above all, avoid patterns.

Your photo doesn’t need to be professionally done, but it should look like it was! If you’re not using a professional camera, use a cell phone that takes high quality, high resolution photos. If the photo looks blurry when you upload it, choose a different one.

Experiment with LinkedIn filters. When you upload your photo to LinkedIn, you can apply different filters. See which one you like best. You can also adjust brightness and contrast in the photo uploader.

Take multiple shots and ask people their opinion on which one makes you seem most “approachable.” Consider using a website like photofeeler.com to choose your photo.

Don’t use an inappropriate photo. (If you have to ask if it’s inappropriate, don’t use it.)

Tips for Men: Wear a dark blue or black dress shirt. No t-shirts. No busy or crazy patterns.

Tips for Women: Wear something you feel comfortable in. No t-shirts. No big or busy patterns. Soft, dark v-necks look great. Long sleeves are best so you’re not drawing attention to your bare arms — instead, you want them to notice your face. (Bare arms also appear “bigger.”)