Three things you should not do if you want a quality LinkedIn profile photo.

Today we are going to look at three things you should not do if you want a quality LinkedIn profile photo.

These might seem very obvious things not to do, but you would be surprised how many times we have seen professional people using unsuitable photos for their LinkedIn profile page.

Number one is do not under any circumstances use a selfie on your LinkedIn profile page. Selfies are fine for friends and family, and they can cheer you up and show people you are having a great time. But LinkedIn is a business platform and you want to look serious about your profession and not like it is a day out at the park. You might think you look great in your selfie, but LinkedIn is not the place where using a selfie will make you look professional.

Number two is do not use photos of yourself taken whilst you were on holiday. You might look nice and tanned, and you are having a great time and looking happy, but this type of photo is not suitable for a LinkedIn profile page. I have seen LinkedIn profile photos of people with boats behind them on the beach, and one guy had a sombrero hat once. This is totally inappropriate for LinkedIn and sends the wrong impression when clients or employers look at your profile page. Remember, when a person looks at a website page, the first thing they look at is the photos. It’s a natural human reaction. So when you upload a holiday photo to your LinkedIn profile page, you are giving the viewing a bad impression of you as a business person.

Number three is do not use photos of you taken at a wedding. Although you will be looking smart, you are not in traditional business attire, and wedding dresses and suites are a bit too over the top for a LinkedIn profile page. Also the background will be all wrong for LinkedIn as normally wedding photos are taken outside a church or registry office. LinkedIn profile photos should have a plain white background or an office or cityscape background.

Three things you should not do if you want a quality LinkedIn profile photo.