Including a photograph in your resume or cover letter could hurt your job application. Here's 5 reasons why it's a bad idea.
Communications in 2020, even those in the corporate world have become highly visual. It's normal to communicate using emojis, GIFs, and memes. So, job applicants might think it’s appropriate to include a photo on their resume. While this may seem like a good idea, it could severely impact the success of your application.
So, why should you not include a photo on your resume?
Recruiters need to be careful to prevent unconscious bias and avoid discrimination
Any information that might expose you to potential discrimination should be excluded from your resume. Hiring managers must be careful not to be biased or discriminate against applicants based age, race, religion, gender or appearance. For this reason, hiring managers may exclude resumes that include a photo to avoid accusations of discimination.
Always remember that a CV is meant to assist the applicant to secure the position they are applying for based on education, experience and skills.
Images are not ATS friendly
Today, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used by almost all recruitment companies, including small and medium-sized ones. It’s no longer a privilege of large agencies.
The ATS helps hiring managers to quickly filter applications based on predefined criteria. These systems are only designed to read text. They are scanning for keywords. Images just show as incomprehensible, jumbled data increasing the "signal-to-noise" ratio. ATS screening may fail to highlight you as a leading candidate despite having all the requisite skills and expertise.
Resume photos may be considered to be unprofessional
Even though modern hiring managers may understand the need for an applicant to try to customize their CV by including a headshot, not all will appreciate this gesture. Some may view applicants who have included the headshot as being too informal for their liking and, therefore, opt to immediately disqualify them.
It's a distraction
The purpose of a resume or CV is to show the recruiter what makes you the candidate of choice based on your skills, experience and abilities. Your resume only has 7.4 seconds to achieve this. A photograph is just a distraction. It's noise.
Another study from 2016 concluded that the majority of recruiters were scanning for just 6 pieces of information. A photograph was not one of them.
If a recruiter is interested in what you look like, they can visit your social media profiles. Or, they can meet you during a face-to-face interview, after passing the screening tests.
Resume photos are not necessary
Writing a CV is by itself a very hard exercise. You have to do everything possible to ensure you fit your experience, qualifications, accomplishments and relevant skills within 1 or 2 pages.
So why would you want to take up the extra room in the CV document by including a picture? Especially when a photo isn’t in any way relevant to the application (unless you are an actor or a model).
Letting the recruiter have a glimpse of your appearance won’t contribute much to the decision arrived at by the hiring manager. His/her job is to assess your capability to deliver excellent results on daily responsibilities, manage sensitive workplace projects, as well as deal with any challenges which are likely to arise at the workplace.
You should use the available space to try to sell yourself and your professional abilities, as opposed to selling your looks.
At some stage in the hiring process, the recruiter will Google you and search you on social media so they will see what you look like anyway. Consider adding a professional headshot to your linked in profile. But, not your resume.
When and where to use a professional headshot
Certain jobs, like those in the modeling or acting industries, may require the applicant to include a headshot in their CVs. In such a case, you should ensure you provide a professional headshot - but only if the job advertisement asks for it.
It’s also worth noting that there are various places around the globe where CV photos are considered customary. In case you aren’t sure about the acceptable practice, take time to contemplate on what adding the picture may add. This will also include considering the best practices in your industry before submitting your CV for evaluation purposes.
If you are selecting a picture to use online, i.e., on social media or your website, make sure to observe the following:
Do: Select a professional-looking image. Go for the front-facing image that has a light, solid background.
Don’t: Upload a posed, selfie, group, or party picture you took at the local beach, club, or pub.
Do: Confirm that the image has been professionally taken using a high-resolution camera.
Don’t: Use a funny, cartoon, or avatar image.
Do: Crop the picture to ensure it will not only complement but also fit in with the kind of impression you want to give the recruiter about your professional experience.
Don’t: Upload an altered or dated photograph. Any photograph you intend to use alongside your CV or for professional purposes needs to be one that shows the person you are today. This means it must be current.
Conclusion
The fact is, hiring managers or the teams tasked with the recruitment process will get to see you when you advance through the hiring process. It’s best to ensure that your achievement, skills, and experience remain front and center. This is what the recruiting process is all about, and not whether you have a beautiful smile or not.
