Ah, it really bothers me to see people’s passport pictures on their CVs and other professional networking links, whether it’s LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Facebook etc. Passport pictures means photographs to be used on passports, or on important documents such as educational degrees, visa, national ID and licenses.

These straight head and shoulder photographs with serious face gives me the impression of a prisoner, as if the person was forced to sit in front of the camera and is full of aggression and depression, gosh! I write such blogs because I observe how we Pakistanis lack professionalism because we don’t bother to pay attention to the little details that create huge differences.

Likewise, your pictures says a lot about you, especially when it comes to professional networking; people are keen to judge. It speaks to people and tells them who you really are. Professional headshot gives the impression of your seriousness towards your image and depicts the level of professionalism. On the other hand, no one likes even their own passport pictures, and I believe, this is the very reason why we all are reluctant to put up a picture in resume, especially.

Now, many people in Pakistan doesn’t even know what professional headshot is, so let me explain here. Headshot doesn’t mean taking bullet in the head (sorry for sounding hostile here but I need to clear the difference). It is basically, a specific type of portrait picture taken from head to chest mostly, and one need to hire a professional photographer to take it because it requires perfect balance of lights, DSLR, neat background and editing software to edit it, not only this, a creative and analytical eye of a professional photographer will help you in getting the best shot.

A good picture turns your resume and profiles in to a live person, because it adds life to your monochrome CV. Having a good confident picture is surely a way to stay at least one step ahead of other applicants in job search. I have been working with recruiters and HR professionals for quite some time now, and I know how they work and what factors work to get shortlisted.

For entrepreneurs and business professionals it is a way to drag in more potential clients by building credibility. Seeing the face behind business always gives a positive impact about its owners and team.

Here are some examples of passport images and professional headshots, you can see the difference:

    

 

Note: These images have been taken from Internet, I don’t know anyone personally

I think, one can clearly differentiate between both types of pictures and their impacts. No matter how good looking a person is, but straight pictures make them look expressionless, while I call them – soulless. Whereas, a perfect headshot depicts confidence, professionalism and energy.

I would recommand everyone: entreprenuers, business professionals, executives, freelancers and even students to spend a little amount to hire a professional photographer and get the best shot to use for enhanced portfolio, plus that picture can be used for maximum 3-5 years. So, spending some time and amount on this aspect is worth it.

 I would also like to hear from you. So do post a comment below.