Jobhop Jobhop's blog : Having A Profile Picture, Is It A Waste Of Time?
This blog post come about due to another conversation about profile pictures.
This time the candidate was adamant about not having a profile picture because of privacy concerns and that the thought of recruiters or employers looking at their mug shot was somewhat creepy. In the past other comments have been the concern over being discriminated against, or shyness and some have said uploading a profile picture is a complete waste of time.
At Jobhop we would never insist that a candidate upload a picture of themselves just like other social networking platforms wouldn’t. We also advise employers that they can’t force an employee to upload a picture of themselves to a profile, just like they can’t force their employees to be social. All we can do is offer guidance and explain how the benefits of having a profile picture outweigh the negatives of not having a profile picture.
We don’t think that having a profile picture is a waste of time and you shouldn't either
What if you don’t have a profile picture, could it hinder your employment chances?
The answer is yes, not having a profile picture could hinder your chances of employment, it does more harm than good.
Emotional connection
When we go to someone’s profile, and there is just a blank space where the picture should be, we feel nothing. A picture replacing the blank space gives us the chance to emotionally connect with that person. We might see ourselves in that person, or perhaps they look like someone we know, or we might feel a familiarity. When there’s a profile picture, an emotional connection can be made which is a good thing.
Virtual handshake
The first time anyone gets to meet someone usually these days is online, and a good welcoming profile picture has now become the virtual handshake.
The profile picture has a job, and that is to keep the employer or recruiter on the profile, so they want to read about you, that means you must welcome them first.
When there is no profile picture, there is no welcome. In real life, we would never welcome and give someone a handshake while wearing a balaclava ( well, I hope not) so why would you do that online?
Recognition
When someone is recognised conversing and connecting becomes easier. Whenever an employer or recruiter does a candidate search, if the same profile picture gets returned in the search results before long they’ll be saying “It’s her again” “It’s him again” They will take notice and want to connect with that person to chat with them. They’d be confident that their approach would be welcomed because the candidate is marketing themselves in a way that has caught their attention. Because the candidate has a good profile picture on all their online accounts, they have now become instantly recognisable.
Credibility
Let’s say you want to play the piano, you’ve been told that a gentleman called Mr A Man is quite good, so you go online to research him. You can’t find anything. However, there is another piano teacher in the area, Mrs A Man and there is a great welcoming picture of herself. You can read more about her experience and her testimonials; instantly you have peace of mind that she is credible. The same happens when an employer or recruiter tries to check you out, if they are met with nothing then in their eyes you’re probably not credible.
You should think of yourself as a brand, your profile picture is an important part of your brand.
Remember “A picture is worth a thousand words” The advice would be, have a profile picture!
JOIN Jobhop and spread the word.
Julie Bishop Jobhop.co.uk
In:- Social media