An energetic team player with a proven track record of successful leadership… Sound familiar?
Well, maybe not those exact words but definitely the tone that leads into your average Executive bio at the head of a resume. Followed by a stellar list of achievements and noteworthy positions throughout your illustrious career, put simply, you are amazing. Your expertly crafted letter of introduction and precise two-page resume magically floats to the top of the sorting pile. You’ve made it, the single biggest hurdle of getting a job in the 21st century, your details are in front of a Human being, an actual living person who may or may not give you a go.
What they do next shouldn’t surprise you because you do it too. That’s right, the infamous Google stalk. The effort to match up the name with a face takes up a fair chunk of time, it’s hard work trolling the internet {insert serious face thinking emoji}. What they find about you (or someone they think is you) can be quite remarkable, dating back, well, to when the internet was invented. Your digital footprint is there for the entire developed world to see, it might actually be a good idea to present the best version of yourself. Not necessarily the one that you think the world should see.
It’s amazing how much people invest in their physical appearance. I’m not necessarily referring to stereotypical fillers, injections of biotoxin to paralyse whatever muscle is required and baths in magical mud and who knows what else. I’m talking about clothes, personal accessories and general grooming. We are talking Billions of dollars a year people, possibly even Trillions of hard-earned dollars, to look our very best. Your average good quality men’s business suit starts at $600! That’s actually quite reasonable considering bespoke European suits cost upwards of $5k. Don’t worry ladies I hear you, I can imagine how much you spend, I tremble to think. We haven’t even got to the shoes yet, that’s a whole other fetish and a much longer story.
My point is that we know, at a fundamental level, that looking the best we can is important. Not only in our careers but in life in general. It allows you to craft the look you want to share with the world and how the world will perceive you visually. Getting your hair done, using the right make up, taking the time to ensure that you are groomed to a standard should be important to you. At the end of the day you are your brand, how you present yourself really does affect what people initially think of you. Going for that new job, new love or new anything is fraught with many pre-conceptions. The way people perceive who you are is exactly this impression, long before they meet you. Over time they’ll get to know a more substantial version of you, if you are lucky enough to get the opportunity.
I look through LinkedIn and see an amazing variety of headshots, a good proportion of which should never have seen the light of day. Your wedding photo, high school yearbook photo or dare I say it your profile photo from Facebook (when you were in Bali). We haven’t even touched on the topic of your Tinder photo or the one where your ex-partner has been cropped out, sigh.
Professional headshots are a must and are critical in crafting your brand image. Who are you? What do you stand for? Do you present as competent professional? The list goes on… A properly captured headshot created by a professional photographer is a critical component in your visual presentation. Capturing your personality, confidence and life experience. These images need to be updated annually, despite your love affair with the picture of yourself when you were 25, slimmer and ready to conquer the world. You are not 25 anymore my friend (some of you anyway), you are double that and so much wiser and sophisticated, show the world a belief in yourself and all that you’ve got to offer. A photographer will make a great image of you and present you the way you need to be presented.
It’s too expensive, I don’t like my photo being taken, I don’t have time, as a photographer I’ve heard it all before. As it relates to what you spend on everything else, the cost of a good headshot is a single digit percentage of your total personal costs. You spend all this money on clothes, personal care and your social life but hesitate on a couple of hundred dollars (at most). Do yourself a favour, research a good photographer in your area and go for it. What have you got to lose other than ¼ of one night out with your friends.
Remember your face is your brand, long before you physically get into the equation.
Portrait Photographer near me
Adelaide portrait photographer near me