Photo’s on CVs?

The age old quandary of do you or do you not add a photo to your CV?   It’s something we get asked about all the time.    A few years back, it was quite unusual to get a photo on a CV and when they popped up in our inbox or in mail, they were quite the subject of everyone’s interest.   Sometimes it was for good and sometimes not.

Today, it’s far more common and can be very useful to recruiters and employers.  Suddenly you’re not just a lot of words on a page, you are a real person that we can identify with.  But of course, this now becomes the all important first impression!  Previously, the reader would absorb the layout, neatness, font ….   Then check location, job title, experience etc and the first impression was formed.  But with a photo, it’s all different – that is the first focus.

So,  how about this as an idea.  If you’ve had rather too many jobs in the last few years, or your grades aren’t quite what they could be, and the first impression of your CV is as great as you would like, then a friendly, professional and attractive (not as in good looking but attractive with a welcoming smile and “doesn’t he/ she look like a nice person”) could be just the thing to turn your CV from a no to a yes.

I was reminded lately of the power of the first impression.   I was interviewing several candidates at our offices and had my mental order of who was likely to be successful and who wasn’t.   But my number 1 candidate arrived and wasn’t as smart as I’d expected, had facial piercings and came in with a loud booming voice.  He was a no before he even got into the interview.  We all try to see past superficial things, but we are programmed to make decisions quickly so that we can act quickly.  The cliché of never getting a second chance to make a good first impression is very true indeed.

The social media age that we’re all living in dictates this decision too.   When you apply for a position, you are almost certain to be checked out on Linked in, or possibly facebook and twitter etc.   It’s the need for the reader to know, “what’s this person really like”?  Linked in gives a professional look at you, it’s almost an extension of your CV.  But what will they see if they check out your facebook account? Even if your security settings are tight, your profile picture can be viewed and you will be judged.   So perhaps putting a photo on your CV will satisfy the readers curiosity and they won’t go snooping!?  I am not suggesting that this is common practise, but it goes on everywhere and should be considered.   I’ve heard of people changing facebook and twitter pictures for the duration of their job hunt.

Some of us, are old and worn out and losing hair or wrinkling up or carrying a few extra pounds and don’t want to be judged on what we look like.  Why should we be?   We’ve worked hard for the last 20 / 30 years and are good at what we do and should be judged on our abilities and experience, not on our receding hairlines or bags under our eyes because our children keep us awake all night.      Well quite right!  Leave the photo off, there really is no right or wrong here, just what suits you and what makes the very best first impression.    If you’re CVs good, it’s right to lead with that.

Whatever you decided  is fine but as someone that reads countless CVs day after day,  a smiley, professional face looking back at me certainly doesn’t hurt the application at all and more often than not,  helps me to identify with the person I’m reading about.