Should I Put My Photo on My Resume?

Nicola Crocco • February 5, 2018

Should I Put My Photo on My Resume?

Posted on February 5, 2018

Nearly every candidate I see during a week will ask for my opinion on their resume. Of course, every recruiter in town has a different opinion on the right ‘look and feel’ for a resume: font, structure, colour, length and the inclusion of a photo are hot topics in the land of the job-hunter, where everyone is seeking that competitive edge.

And this brings me to my first point: Your resume is like your fashion sense. Everyone likes something different and there is no right or wrong style. But there ARE some basic looks and styles that will win every time and there ARE some basic ‘resume fashion blunders’ that will lose every time. 

Let’s stay focused on the topic of this blog: “Should I put my photo on my resume?” Despite being quite decisive about many topics concerning recruitment, I am not going to give you a black and white answer to this one, because I think that (like your fashion sense) it’s your decision. At the end of the day, your resume is a personal reflection of your professional self. 

However, when you are considering whether to include your photo on your resume or not, I would encourage you to think about:

  • Whether the ‘unconscious bias’ of the reader may inadvertently obstruct their view of your experience. I am seeing a trend in employers who want to look at ‘blind’ resumes, where all identifying details, including names, are removed to eliminate bias. 
  • Most people will cross-reference your resume with your LinkedIn profile. Even the most casual search via Google will likely help an employer find a photo of you. If you want to head this off at the pass, include a link to your LinkedIn profile on your resume.

If you still just love the look of your mug and think it might be the accessory your resume has been searching for all its life, I have outlined below some ‘do’s and don’ts’ to avoid any resume fashion blunders:

  • DO make sure your photo is professionally appropriate. No-one wants to see you at last year’s Christmas party.


  • DON’T get so caught up with your mugshot that you forget about what’s really important: the content of your resume. That’s a whole other blog topic that I need to write about for you, so for now please just heed the warning. 
  • DO make sure your photo is high-res. You don’t want to be mistaken for something or someone else.
  • DO make sure the photo reflects your approachability. I kid you not, I saw a facial expression on a resume photo once that made me too scared to call the person. It was terrifying!
  • DO make sure the photo is of a size and placement on the page that doesn’t detract from the incredible content of your resume. Remember: your photo is there to complement the substance of your resume. It could be the hat or the necklace to your resume that adds that little bit of “je ne sais quoi” to the total look.  

Photo or no photo? If you follow my resume fashion rules, I honestly don’t believe it will determine whether you get the job or not, but it may help you to reflect your professional background in a more personal way. If you do include a photo and make a total resume fashion blunder, it could be a good reason for an employer NOT to read on.

Share this article

People Equity and datmedia present CX done Better, Smarter, Faster

By Gabby Symons • March 12, 2020
The People Equity team thrives on creating dynamic and transformative learning opportunities. The recent CX done Better, Smarter, Faster summit in Melbourne was no exception. In partnership with experts in the customer experience (CX) space - datmedia and the Chrome Enterprise team at Google - People Equity hosted the event, a chance to share in the very latest ideas around enhancing CX.

3 Career Goals You’ll Actually Achieve This Year

By Gabby Symons • January 16, 2020
The new year brings new beginnings and is the perfect time to take a step back and set some career goals for the upcoming months. If you’ve already let your New Year’s Resolutions fall by the wayside (hey, we’ve all been there), or you just have no clue where to begin, there’s still time to start afresh and set realistic goals you’ll be able to keep. Remember, they don’t have to be big – even small changes can make a huge difference to your Retail career.
8 Podcasts to Make You a Better Leader

8 Podcasts to Make You a Better Leader

By Gabby Symons • January 6, 2020
With the new year well underway, this is an excellent time to assess your leadership development strategy for this year. Whether you’re new to leading or already have a solid management track record behind you, we are firm believers that leaders at every level should always be seeking new ideas to grow and take their careers to new heights. Stagnation is the enemy of progress, and in today’s fast-paced world, if you’re not moving forward – you’re going backwards.
Recruitment Utopia: When Talent and Partnership Converge

Recruitment Utopia: When Talent and Partnership Converge

By Nicola Crocco • December 20, 2019
I have just experienced recruitment utopia. It came in the form of true partnership with an organisation as I placed a talented Chief Customer Officer into their executive leadership team. I am not talking about the one-way-street commonly cloaked as ‘partnership’ between recruiters and their clients where the client serves up their wish-list and the recruiter responds by ticking the boxes.
Hiring for Culture Add vs. Culture Fit

Hiring for Culture Add vs. Culture Fit

By Nicola Crocco • September 23, 2019
It seems like not long ago that we felt a shift in thinking when it came to recruitment. Organisations began to embrace the idea of culture fit, ensuring that the people they hired would complement existing teams and cultures. Over the last couple of years, however, we've seen some organisations take a different approach, moving on from culture fit in favour of hiring for culture add. Whilst there are certainly benefits to both, here’s why we are seeing the emergence of this new trend.
Networking for Life: The Power of Professional Courtesy

Networking for Life: The Power of Professional Courtesy

By Simon Ginsberg • September 17, 2019
Networking. It’s a topic that has been written about a thousand times over, yet it continues to be as relevant as ever – even if you aren’t currently in the market for a job. After all, you never know when you might need your contacts, so it’s important to understand how to build your network effectively! It’s no secret that in our modern world, we’re faced with a digital barrage of communications – from SMS and email, to LinkedIn and even the humble telephone
5 Questions You Should be Asking Your New Employee

5 Questions You Should be Asking Your New Employee

By Nicola Crocco • September 1, 2019
After the initial onboarding period, it’s easy to get so accustomed to the presence of your newest team member that you simply leave them to get on with their role. We get it – it’s hard to make time for everything when you’re busy, but ‘set and forget’ isn’t the best way to get the most out of your new hire. Once the first few months on the job are behind them, it’s well worth your while to check-in and make sure everything really is going as smoothly as it seems to be.
How to Attract the Best Executive Retail Leaders

How to Attract the Best Executive Retail Leaders

By Lisa Canning • July 9, 2019
It’s every company’s worst nightmare: you’ve put together a strong team, business performance is ticking over nicely and then unexpectedly, one of your senior executives announces their departure. At this level, finding the next executive to fill their shoes can seem like a tricky assignment and unwanted headache – especially knowing having the right leaders is vital to a company’s continued success. Leveraging our experience, we’ve put together some pointers and steps to ensure you are well positioned and prepared.

How Much Should You Talk During a Job Interview?

By Simon Ginsberg • June 25, 2019
We've all done it – started telling a story, only to realise too late we've gone on too long and our audience’s eyes are glazing over. No one wants to be that person, much less during a job interview. So, how much should you really be talking in an interview?
Mum’s the Word

Mum’s the Word

By Nicola Crocco • May 15, 2019
As she returned to her desk with a cup of tea last week, Lisa Canning declared to anyone listening, “I spent most of my youth actively trying NOT to be like my mother.” She sighed. “But I can’t fight it anymore…I am EXACTLY like my mother.” She laughed. We laughed. Then, things went quiet. “My values, the way I think, the way I talk, walk, the way I am at work and at home….so much of it comes from my mum.”
More Posts
Share by: