Recruiters Weigh in on Whether Your Should Put a Headshot on a Resume

Is a headshot on a resume the next trend to follow for job search success? Four recruiters share their professional advice in this issue of recruiter’s voice.

With the widespread use of LinkedIn and other social media platforms for job search, it’s easy to find out what an applicant looks like. Professional headshots are emphasized on LinkedIn, so much so that there are ample blog posts providing tips on how to get the perfect profile picture and online photo analyzers to rate your likeableness. Despite the headshot’s prominence on LinkedIn, it is still thought to be widely discouraged on resumes.

To determine the headshot’s role in the modern resume and job search, the CDI Education Committee posed the following question to a handful of recruiters from different industries:

We’ve been told repeatedly by recruiters that profile headshots on resumes are a don’t in the US. Yet, LinkedIn emphasizes the use of a professional profile headshot. What are your thoughts on including/excluding one on the resume and why? Do you see this changing in the future?

Four recruiters shared their insight on:

Whether the headshot is a yes or no with hiring authorities.
Different key purposes of the resume vs LinkedIn.
Other items to leave off a resume to help avoid identity theft.
When and where the resume is best suited to including a headshot.
Where resumes may be destined to go in the future of hiring.

Special thanks to recruiters:

Ron Beck | Director of Healthcare Leadership & IT Recruitment at Carecor Health Services Ltd.

Christian Kaijser | Managing Director at Career Evolutions

Jordan Morgan | Senior Recruitment Consultant at Build Recruitment

Rosalie Aguilar | Placement Director at Legacies Staffing

Special thanks to CDI Education Committee who contributed to this Q&A spotlight. Curated by Laura Hartnell. Further contribution by Rhonda Douglas Charles.