First impressions mean everything, especially in the corporate world. A headshot is a great way to promote yourself, your work and your business—but only if the image is professional and up to date.
A headshot helps to show your personal brand and tell your story, whether that’s to potential clients or employers. And, while appearance isn’t the only thing that matters, having a good headshot can make you stand out from the crowd.
At Karen Bengall Photography, we know just how important it is to get this headshot right. With more and more businesses joining the online world, and with the recent repercussions of COVID-19, having a professional online presence has never been more important. And updating your headshot is a great place to start.
Here are five reasons why you should update your headshot now.
Headshots are unique. They represent us in the working world and should accurately depict what you look like for your colleagues and clients.
Your headshot should not be an image of yourself from ten years ago that you’ve chosen just because you look professional.
You should be recognisable from your headshot, so whether you’ve ditched the beard or now wear glasses, it’s time to update your headshot!
And, not only is it important for you to get a new headshot when your appearance changes, but when styles change too. It can be obvious to a recruiter or client when a headshot is outdated, and that is only going to give a bad impression.
It’s a good idea to update your headshot when you start a new job. Your headshot should be relevant and appropriate for your current role.
For example, if you move into a new executive role with plenty of responsibility, your headshot needs to convey these changes. Similarly, if your business’s values include friendliness and approachability, the photographer will be able to get this across in the image.
Even if you aren’t moving jobs any time soon, it’s still a good idea to update your headshot every two years. A headshot may look professional, but it can appear generic if the image was taken to cover all bases.
Keeping your headshot up to date will help to reflect your identity and personality within your specific job role, which will help make you more approachable to clients.
We are used to seeing ourselves in family photos, not posing in a professional manner, so it is understandable why many people feel embarrassed about having a corporate headshot.
However, it is really important for headshots to represent what you look like in the workplace. This is how your colleagues and clients see you every day, so a professional headshot is not something you should feel uncomfortable about.
Whilst LinkedIn follows a similar set up to Facebook, it’s not appropriate to use the same profile picture on both accounts. Your professional network shouldn’t see a holiday selfie as your headshot.
It may seem obvious, but plenty of people still use unprofessional images for their headshot! From the clothes you are wearing to your body posture, every detail gets noticed.
For example, the background of a headshot tells a lot about an individual and the organisation they work in. Think about headshots you’ve seen that work well. What was in the background? You don’t want a busy background distracting from your professionalism.
A headshot is no use if the image quality is low or you cannot make out the person in the photo. A small or pixelated image does not give you a professional look.
Amateur photos aren’t going to paint you in the best light. And, if other organisations have invested time in creating good employee headshots, it’s easy to see which company clients are more likely to favour.
Updating your headshot to one taken by a professional will bring out the best in you. If your business has a brief, Karen Bengall can work with you to ensure your headshot is appropriate.
When you’re looking for a new job, you want a potential employer to see more than just your application.
A high quality, professional image helps inspire confidence and trust in you even before they’ve met you. And a big part of this comes from your expression.
Your expression in the image can determine a person’s first impression so make sure that it is genuine. And don’t be afraid to smile!
This is particularly important if you are job hunting. With the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, your headshot needs to stand out to employers. Did you know that the addition of a professional photo to your profile makes you 14 times more likely to be found on LinkedIn?
Your headshot enhances what recruiters can already see. So if you want to give yourself the edge over other applicants, now is a great time to update your headshot.
Investing in a professional photographer is worth it for the career boost: not only does a great headshot convey that you’re professional, it shows that you want to invest in your career and are making the effort to do so.
Having headshots taken professionally will give you a portfolio of photos that you can use for different purposes. One may be for your company website, one for a news article, and one for your LinkedIn profile. Professional photographers will help determine which type of headshots best suit your needs and the image you want to portray.
Karen Bengall’s studio is based in Goudhurst, Kent. Both individuals and businesses can get in touch to find out more about corporate headshots and other business services offered in the studio. Whether this is your first or fifteenth headshot, you will feel at ease in the studio, so get in touch today to get that headshot updated!