Build a Professional Brand – Start With a Photo!

As an early advocate of the platform, Stroud Resourcing Managing Director Joanna Stroud has spent over a decade using LinkedIn to source and place talented healthcare professionals in their dream roles across all types of independent healthcare providers. In our LinkedIn Mythbusting #2, she shares top tips for internal recruiters and hiring managers to make the most of this professional social network.

Tip 2 – Build a professional brand - start with a photo!

One of the most important steps to establishing a professional LinkedIn brand is to create an up-to-date profile. Start by ensuring all the information on your profile is accurate and up to date. You should include a professional looking profile picture, a headline that reflects your current career objectives, and a summary that explains your professional experience, achievements, and qualifications. You should also make sure to include a list of your skills and expertise, as well as any relevant awards, certifications, or publications you have earned. This will help potential employers or prospective applicants to gain a better understanding of the value you can bring to them.

Let's start with why a LinkedIn photo is so important!

Your LinkedIn profile is potentially the first pit stop that a candidate will choose when assessing a career move. Failing to have a credible photo is a massive faux pas and reflects poorly on you personally and moreover your employer.

• Your LinkedIn photo and headline are two of the most important profile parts. These are the only parts of your profile someone will see when scrolling through a list of returned LinkedIn search results! People are attracted to visuals; without a photo, a hiring manager or recruiter might scroll straight past you.
• A photo helps to give the right impression, it helps to humanise your profile, it provides a visual cue to your professional identity. It also gives prospective employers and clients the chance to put a face to a name, which can help to increase the chances of being remembered!
• Having a professional photo adds an element of trust to your profile. It shows that you are serious about your career.
• When choosing a photo, it’s important to make sure it is professional and appropriate. It should represent the best version of yourself and reflect your professional identity.
• Keep it solo - LinkedIn has similar features to some other social networks such as Facebook, but LinkedIn is a professional setting. Show potential employers that you understand the platform and steer away from photos with your significant other, child or pets.
• Pick a photo that looks like you. Meeting someone who doesn’t look like their profile picture is an easy way to lose credibility. Keep your photo up to date with your changing looks.
• Be authentic and wear what you’d wear to work, whether that be your scrubs, nurses uniform or business dress. Hiring Managers should consider that prospective candidates will get a feel for you as an employer by what you wear. 
• Use a high-resolution image, taken in soft, natural light. Make sure your face takes up at least 60% of the frame and smile! Smiling can help put others at ease and makes you look more approachable.

In summary, having a profile picture on LinkedIn is essential for making a good impression and building trust. Choose a photo that accurately represents your professional identity and will help to make you stand out from the competition.