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The Perfect Professional Headshot Is Worth $1,000, and Maybe Even a Job (wsj.com) 91

Posted by msmash from the how-about-that dept.
Professionals pursuing that 'just right' look for LinkedIn profiles and resumes are tapping high-end headshot photographers who say they can help clients look better, feel better -- and boost their careers. From a report: Nailing your professional headshot seems harder and more clutch than ever at a time of record job changes and on-screen first impressions. The buttoned-up and made-up looks that once dominated business directories and professional profiles now seem stuffy in the work-from-anywhere era. Selfies are free, but some people chasing that just-so photo for their LinkedIn profile are paying $1,000 or more for headshots. Their quests are fueling a cottage industry of headshot photographers who offer facial-expression coaching and promise to help even the most insecure subjects look and feel great.

"I'm not a photographer per se," says Peter Hurley, who charges $1,500 for a headshot session and $300 for each image his clients keep. "I consider myself a facial conveyance strategist." His go-to move is telling people to "squinch," by which he means raise the lower eyelids -- just a tad -- in a modified squint. Photographers hoping to mimic his techniques can pay $1,800 for one of his weekend workshops. Mr. Hurley started taking headshots about 20 years ago, having learned the basics of photography while modeling to fund his pursuit of an Olympic sailing berth. (He didn't make the five-ring regatta, but he had a hell of a six-pack.) His early clients were fellow models and actors. Now, shooting at studios in New York and Los Angeles, he estimates 90% are business types tired of their bland, yearbook-style profile pics and willing to shell out to stand out.

In certain ways, the importance of a good headshot is measurable. LinkedIn, which enjoys more traffic when profiles are more engaging, reports that bios with headshots get 21 times more views than those without, and users receive nine times more connection requests when they include pictures of themselves. Headshots don't help everyone equally, says executive recruiter Martha Heller. She notes that the leaders of a company trying to fill a key position may have predetermined notions of what the ideal candidate should look like. Historically, they've often pictured a white man, though clients are increasingly seeking people who will diversify the senior ranks, she says. In any case, an applicant's odds of receiving an offer can be diminished by a headshot that doesn't match the picture in the boss's mind. Catalant, an online marketplace for independent consultants, says freelancers with headshots in their profiles are hired more often, but some businesses screen out names and photos because race and gender markers can play into unconscious biases and disadvantage certain candidates.
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The Perfect Professional Headshot Is Worth $1,000, and Maybe Even a Job More

The Perfect Professional Headshot Is Worth $1,000, and Maybe Even a Job

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  • Is this a joke?

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Do you want to work with a bunch of ugly people?

    • Re: (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward

      I might pay a grand for perfect professional head, but not for a mere photograph.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Anonymous Coward
      That depends on what you mean.

      If you are asking whether the article reflects the actual situation, no it is not a joke. Despite extensive posturing to the contrary most mid to high level managers very much do care about how candidates look. Even when they are looking to add diversity to a largely white male staff, they have in their heads what an ideal asian female would look like, or an Indian, or whatever else. Sure their marketing material probably has something about everyone's authentic self being w

      • Re: What? (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Frobnicator ( 565869 ) on Thursday August 11, 2022 @02:24PM (#62780918) Journal

        Yup, a real world situation filled with discrimination, both legal and illegal.

        A professional-looking photo of a young or middle-aged slender white male can absolutely increase the odds of a job and get a better offer. Being the wrong age, race, or gender will give fewer contacts and lower offers once they do make contact. This has been proven with blind studies again and again.

        Even categories that are not legally protected like weight, perceived beauty or facial symmetry, and hair color make a measurable difference.

        It really does pay to get the professional headshot for your LinkedIn account , even if the photo is not of you.

        • I use the nice stock photo of the happy family that came with my wallet.

          Companies use models all the time in their annual reports, web sites, and other literature. The perfect people all looking intently at a computer screen, etc. Even when these are employees they're still often staged. Sometimes when there is a real employee who's very photogenic they do get asked a lot to appear in an image, join a meeting with customers, etc (not a problem I've had). This isn't always about looking hot either, it's a

    • What is a full body shot worth?

      I have been trying to get my girlfriend to send me one but she won't, it's making me real P.O.'d

    • People are out of their minds now, holy shit $1500 + $300 a shot. This should be a reason not to hire someone, their obviously nuts.

  • No word on the perfect summary (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Blurb's gotta be short, yo.

  • Written by a "photographer" (Score:3)

    by Major_Disorder ( 5019363 ) on Thursday August 11, 2022 @02:07PM (#62780866)
    Even though he claims not to be.
    BS Artist seems like a better title for him.
  • Has anyone actually ever used Linkedin for a job and gotten one?

    I know of it's existence, but I've never once used that as a service, I don't even have a profile on there that I know of....

    Over the years, I've make sure I networked with people and doing so, has meant the job progression along my professional career across different parts of the US and different jobs, eventually into contracting.

    I don't know that I've ever submitted a picture of myself in any form or fashion...and I don't so social media.

    • We used to use it as a screening mechanism and a way to put a face to a faceless resume when hiring. It helps provide a slightly broader picture of a person than what they profess in their resume and cover letter. Their recruiting products are crap though.

      Honestly though, this article makes me want to take down my professional headshot and go with a selfie of me in a bathrobe on the couch.

    • Nope. I've never had an account and whenever I'm searching for a job, I always good offers anyway, so what's the point apart from vanity parade?

      In a way, not having LinkedIn gives me quiet and peaceful life since whenever I'm not looking for a job, I am not getting an avalanche of job offers every day.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by ranton ( 36917 )

        In a way, not having LinkedIn gives me quiet and peaceful life since whenever I'm not looking for a job, I am not getting an avalanche of job offers every day.

        You don't usually get an avalanche of job offers unless you are actively using the site. I maybe get 1 job offer per week from LinkedIn most of the time, but if I start using the site then that jumps up to 5+.

        I've never had an account and whenever I'm searching for a job, I always good offers anyway, so what's the point apart from vanity parade?

        It's quite likely you don't know how good your offers could be if you aren't using all job hunting tools at your disposal. I replied to LinkedIn recruiters, did my own LinkedIn job search, and used a personal recruiter in my last job search. Every one of them provided "good" offers, but I would probabl

        • You don't usually get an avalanche of job offers unless you are actively using the site. I maybe get 1 job offer per week from LinkedIn most of the time, but if I start using the site then that jumps up to 5+.

          This. I've gotten more value out of getting referrals and offers (and applying to jobs) through LinkedIn than through other methods.

          I can understand if it is not everyone's cup of tea, but it has worked for me. It's the only social media platform that I've found truly useful with a clear ROI for my time.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ranton ( 36917 )

      Has anyone actually ever used Linkedin for a job and gotten one?

      I have. For my last job search I started with looking for open roles at companies where I had a 1st order connection with on LinkedIn. I now work for someone who I only knew from local conferences who I added to LinkedIn and was the hiring manager for my current role. I even obtained a more senior role than I would have applied for because after we started talking I sent him my resume and asked him what role he felt I was best suited for (he had a few open roles I could have been a good fit for).

      The other t

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Tablizer ( 95088 )

      It's mostly used for sales and marketing positions, isn't it? They don't seem to cater much to tech.

      • It's mostly used for sales and marketing positions, isn't it? They don't seem to cater much to tech.

        No. My second to last software engineering job was through a LinkedIn referral, which lead me to not only a job, but also expand my professional network, with good colleagues and managers I can count on for a referral, job lead or reference should I need one in the future.

        Some of my ex-colleagues got their "next" jobs (in software architecture, systems programming and ML) through LinkedIn referrals, contacts or job openings.

        It's been predominantly for tech jobs from day one. It's weird that posters in

    • Has anyone actually ever used Linkedin for a job and gotten one?

      I know of it's existence, but I've never once used that as a service, I don't even have a profile on there that I know of....

      Over the years, I've make sure I networked with people and doing so, has meant the job progression along my professional career across different parts of the US and different jobs, eventually into contracting.

      I don't know that I've ever submitted a picture of myself in any form or fashion...and I don't so social media.

      So anyway, just curious on Slashdot how many actually use it?

      Do most of you out there actually have a LI account?

      I have one and when I get a resume on my desk of someone to interview, the first thing I do is Google them. My first impression of you as a person will likely be your LinkedIn photo. I will even use your profile and your resume to craft the interview. I have a bank of questions I use. If I see you have more JavaScript experience, I will interview you differently if you have a strong DB background, as an example.

      I think a good LinkedIn profile is a powerful marketing tool. And to answer your question

    • I used to get lots of interest in the profile. Generally if you touch and make even a minor change it bubbles up and is seen more for some reason. I think this is because a change tells others that "this person is job hunting", because that's the only time most people login to touch their profile...

      Recruiters seemingly use it a lot. When I changed my title once to manager I started getting a boatload of recruiter spam for management positions I was unsuited for and linkedin would have been the only place

    • I remember when LinkedIn spammed your contacts list, posing as you and asking your contacts to join. (Well documented here on /. )

      How they gained any respectability after doing this is beyond me.
       
      Back in the day, we would routinely bin any candidate with a LinkedIn profile.... because they must have had their head in the sand not to realise (or have read in the IT press) how toxic LinkedIn were.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Ogive17 ( 691899 )
      I have an account though I haven't touched it in at least 3 years. I did have a picture up but it was not a professional headshot. My opinion is $200-300 is a reasonable amount for a professional picture and rights to that picture. For $1500-$2000, I'd expect a happy ending at the very least.

      Every so often I would make myself available for headhunters to contact me. I was getting 1-2 contacts per week and I'd select "I'm interested" about 10% of the time. This lead to 6 or 7 interviews and 2 offers (
    • I've used it to find people in other companies to get in touch with them, and also to keep tabs on what former colleagues are up to (and keep in touch).
      Recently a recruiter got in touch with me via LinkedIn, offering a job that I might very well have applied for, if it weren't for the fact that I'm already doing work that I am very happy with.

    • Has anyone actually ever used Linkedin for a job and gotten one?

      Yes. Me, and a good one, actually. I've also gotten several interviews through it. And I know for a fact interviewers were looking at my linkedin referrals and recommendations.

      LinkedIn is just like any other platform, the value is in what we put in it, and how we use it. YMMV.

    • Me. I'm 3 months into a job as a remote worker that went through LinkedIn (LI). I've always been of a neutral opinion stance about LI. I find the inspirational posts absolutely useless but maybe I'm not their target. It's a giant professional black book to me.

      If I'm exploring jobs, I use it. Beyond that, I check in now and then. When I get pinged by a recruiter, I look and judge. Ignore, say no thanks, or tell me more.

      Sometimes I get a message from a former connection or I will reach out for any number of r

    • Yes a coworker told me she used LinkedIn heavily to find openings and, once past the interview stage, sent messages to other people working in the company to confirm it was as great as the interviewers said. You should either stay off LinkedIn if you can easily find a job another way, or jump all in to LinkedIn. Don't be one of those people who only has like 20-30 connections - that would look really pathetic.
  • If this is true then perhaps the first question in a job interview should be "How much did you pay for your headshot" and if the answer is $1k+ then you move on to the next person. Anyone who thinks that spending that much on a photograph of their head is a good idea needs their head examined by a different sort of professional and since it shows a complete lack of confidence in their own skills to procure a much cheaper and just as effective solution, they are not someone I'd want to hire.

    • For one interview it is stupid... but for establishing your own personal brand (sorry, just puked a little in my mouth) it makes sense. The real point is to not use your computer's camera to take a profile photo... it looks like garbage. Spending $5k in your search for a $200k/year job is not that uncommon though, people put money into different things depending on who/what they are and their goals. Some buy a suit and get a professional photo, some get a certification, some get copy-editors to review th

      • ...but for establishing your own personal brand (sorry, just puked a little in my mouth) it makes sense

        I think my objection is more for the $1.5k price tag. You can get a professional photograph taken for much, much less and I'm not sure the cost-benefit analysis really favours the guy charging over $1k. The fact that they could have spent a lot less for something basically equivalent I think tells you something about them.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ranton ( 36917 )

      Anyone who thinks that spending that much on a photograph of their head is a good idea needs their head examined by a different sort of professional and since it shows a complete lack of confidence in their own skills to procure a much cheaper and just as effective solution, they are not someone I'd want to hire.

      On the flip side, anyone who thinks spending top dollar for marketing is a waste of money is someone I would be unlikely to hire (not that I would even ask about that in an interview).

      The article is paywalled, but I doubt someone making $80k per year is spending $1k on their headshot. That is likely senior management (or similarly senior IT roles) in the $250k+ range. Maybe some people in sales who aren't that senior yet. I could be wrong though. After losing a significant amount of weight I am planning on

      • On the flip side, anyone who thinks spending top dollar for marketing is a waste of money is someone I would be unlikely to hire

        Fair point - I suppose it depends on the job you are hiring for. If you are looking for someone good at marketing regardless of cost then they may be the ideal person. But for senior IT roles, I'd hope these would be hired based on skill and competence more than who looks the prettiest.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by ranton ( 36917 )

          But for senior IT roles, I'd hope these would be hired based on skill and competence more than who looks the prettiest.

          A fair point as well.

          I would just add that when IT roles become more senior, selling becomes a much bigger part of their role. Selling their ideas to the business, to other IT colleagues, and to partners. Once I hit the Principal Architect level, arguably my technical skills started to matter less than my soft skills.

    • It certainly depends on the job. Maybe some front facing positions this would a plus.

      The fact is that this is pure entrepreneurial craft. I suspect fewer people are paying to have their resumes written or polished, but it is again normal to see a picture of a person before scheduling an interview.

      It might be worth some to people to do it with someone they think is a pro. It might get an interview.

  • With so many data breaches from LinkedIn in the past few years and thousands of scraping pieces of software running on it every day, why would you want to put a real photo of yourself on there?

    WIth your job history, name, email, potentially phone numbers and now real photos, a potential malicious party has everything they ever need to impersonate you from now on.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Tablizer ( 95088 )

      > [with security risks] why would you want to put a real photo of yourself on there?

      To increase your chance of getting a job. Wallets matter.

      A slightly fudged photo actually sounds like decent semi-insurance against data breaches. I'd rather a hacker have a doctored pic of me than a real one. If it's "close enough" to have work-place plausibility then it won't hurt your employment either, especially if it makes you look slightly better.

      For example, if you have naturally droopy eye-lids, many will percei

  • seems like a good use for one of those fake human images created by AI. Pick one that looks to tick all the right stereotypical "desirable attributes" and if they dismiss you because you don't match the photo, sue.

  • good things to have (Score:3)

    by Walt Dismal ( 534799 ) on Thursday August 11, 2022 @02:37PM (#62780962)
    Hi. My name is Patrick Bateman. I'm a professional trader on Wall Street, and I think that a professional headshot is very very important to have. Also, a sharp axe is also a really good thing to have. I love Hughie Lewis too.

  • "but some people chasing that just-so photo for their LinkedIn profile are paying $1,000 or more for headshots."

    We know.
    These are the same people who pay $1200 for a bottle of Vodka and $240 for a steak.

  • Photos are a powerful psychological marketing tool (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Somervillain ( 4719341 ) on Thursday August 11, 2022 @02:45PM (#62780988)
    I've told people this for a long time. IMO, it's very worth having a good LinkedIn photo. My recommendation to friends is that you want a pic that helps the person visualize you in the role. More specifically:

    1. It needs to be clearly lit so people can see your face. A blurry photo is frustrating.

    2. Unless you're trying to be an executive, it shouldn't look like an expensive headshot. If you're a software engineer, you should be dressed like one. Don't wear a suit and tie if no one at your job ever wears one.

    3. It should look low-effort. I recommend getting a friend to do a photoshoot at your cube or in a conference room. I use real cameras and lighting, but I am good enough to make it not obvious. I get the flash bounce off the ceiling so it looks like ambient lighting, for example. I adjust white balance so the person doesn't look like shit, but you can see a cube or meeting room whiteboard in the background. It needs to look like a spontaneous photo taken by someone. You want to hide how much effort you put into it...like it was casually taken with an iPhone in 10 seconds...but look as good as a photo from a talented photographer.

    4. It shouldn't be taken at a hike or a wedding!!! Your goal is not to show you're a badass who climbed a mountain. It's to trick my brain into visualizing you sitting at the desk next to me. So many people take social media photos, sometimes where they're in group photos in a wedding wearing a tux...it's tacky. Your photo shouldn't be distracting.

    5. Look likable and put together, not sexy! You're not seducing people, so don't put on your sexy date night makeup if you're a woman. Don't show cleavage. Have an expression, posture, and body language that looks approachable and confident. You're not trying to look beautiful or handsome. Your only goal is to look like someone people want to work with: approachable, knowledgable, friendly, low-ego, confident.

    It's illogical, but powerful marketing. Being able to visualize someone in the job reduces the friction in your brain to picturing them as a coworker. If you're amazing and talented and any company would be LUCKY to have you, just from seeing your resume, photos don't matter. If your background isn't stellar and you're a recent grad or switching industries, it may make a difference.

    Remember, many great companies have shitty recruiters and talent acquisition offices. Before your resume gets to me, who can read every line and understand it, it goes through a recruiter, who is dumb as a post, and an executive, who is often not a lot brighter, but MUCH better at hiding it.

    Some human being who isn't certain they know the difference between AJAX and REST is your gatekeeper...and even if the person knows what they're doing, an interview is a competition.

    Picture this. You apply for a job. You're a perfect fit. However, someone else is also an equally perfect fit. The hiring manager has time to interview 1 person this week. Your photos follows the rules above. It looks nice, yet not like a stock photo or photo shoot. You look friendly, like someone who is easy to work with. The other person has no pic or has a picture of them wearing sunglasses on vacation with Mt Everest or the Taj Mahal in the background and smiling and you can't even really see their face because of the sunglasses and cap they're wearing, plus their face is washed out by the sun and it's blurry because the person taking the pic has an unsteady hand, like many pics on social media...I'll wager you'll get the call first. Does that mean you've gotten the job? HOPEFULLY not, but I would say you're at the advantage.

    Bad photos are like minor spelling errors...not a deal breaker, but a minor setback.

  • Wait, I must be thinking of a different kind of headshot; gotta cut back on the News ...

  • Whenever I read stories like this, it makes me feel happier about being older and fairly close to the end of my working life.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by PPH ( 736903 )

      fairly close to the end of my working life

      Evidently you've never heard of a Honey Dew list.

      • Evidently you've never heard of a Honey Dew list.

        Ha ha, I got married pretty young so I've lived with one for the majority of my life already. Although my wife didn't ask me for a headshot before starting the list.

    • It's quite telling about our society that there are more and more things to be thankful that you were able to achieve before the world became a worse place in some way. Getting out of school/dating before social media, getting a job before they required ridiculous qualifications/online BS/paid really badly, buying a house before they became completely unaffordable, doing just about anything before the pandemic, etc.

      On the other hand, how often do you think "I wish I had X when I was younger" or "I wish X wa

      • On the other hand, how often do you think "I wish I had X when I was younger" or "I wish X was like that when I was younger?" Likely almost never.

        I very much agree with you. However, there are definitely a few exceptions. To pick one example I think of pretty regularly...

        Being old enough to remember buying the latest regional "Thomas Guide" every few years - I will say I very much like having a GPS mapping device (smart phone) in my pocket. No more getting 2/3 of the way somewhere and then having to pull over, switch to page 147 and hunt for the point where the road I was on continues from page 36 (somehow the edges from one map to another never real

      • the world became a worse place in some way.

        But most measures and for the majority of the people in this country (or the world), the world has *not* become a worse place. #firstworldproblems

        • The idea that relatively pampered first-worlders are supposed to hold strain for the 3rd-world dirt farmers now making two dollars a day instead of one is based on using a very conservative definition of poverty and then shifting the goalposts over time to make poverty appear to decrease when it's holding steady or even increasing:

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com] (sources below vid)

          • The idea that relatively pampered first-worlders are supposed to hold strain for the 3rd-world dirt farmers now making two dollars a day instead of one is based on using a very conservative definition of poverty and then shifting the goalposts over time to make poverty appear to decrease when it's holding steady or even increasing:

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com] (sources below vid)

            Your slogan-paragraph is nice and dandy, except the person you are replying to was born in a 3rd world country who grew up without shoes, knew what real poverty is like and has seen how much poverty has been eradicated by simply doubling a salary from $1 to $2 (because relatives COL's are a thing.)

            But please go on.

  • Best way to get a perfect shot is to record a video of making difference faces, head positions, lighting etc. Then just scroll through to get the perfect still from the video.

  • The computers dont care what I look like.

    • Hey now, it could be an AI system that gets fed full LinkedIn profiles complete with headshots that has been accidentally trained to give preference to white people and/or men...if they use mood detection in your video interview, the computer will definitely care what you look like then!

  • "The Perfect Professional Headshot Is Worth $1,000" ...says professional headshot photographers.

    And no, I don't believe more contacts on Linkedin means ANYTHING. Jesus, I can't get people to stop pinging me through that fucking Facebook wannabe.

  • Not having your photo online is priceless.

    • Being able to draw a self-portrait is a good skill to have. You give someone a good idea of what you look like, without giving them the ability to impersonate you.

  • I'd rather be a janitor again than have to deal with a "facial conveyance strategist" and their kin. I refuse to have a LinkedIn profile (or another social media), and I'm willing to accept whatever consequences I get for that decision.

  • Sniper's a good job, mate.
    It's challenging work, out of doors...

  • a facial conveyance strategist

    Tolerating this sort of absurdity is the real problem.

  • They may hold sessions where a photographer is offering free headshots for job seekers. Another place to check out: I saw a notice at our local library that such a service was going to be available. The resulting photos were better than I would likely have come up with without tons of re-shoots. And, after all, who has all the professional-quality lighting just laying around? I will attest that it did boost the number of contacts I got after uploading one of the headshots to LI.

  • I carefully hid myself away in a clump of bushes across the street. The mood was tense to say the least. After waiting seemingly forever, He showed up, the project director who just wouldn't retire, on his way for the daily coffee. As he approached, a bead of sweat broke out on my brow. Wiping it away I raised my rifle and BLAM! The perfect head shot!

    Later that day, I received a call from HR. They had seem my resume and by 'coincidence' they just got word of a new opening in development...

  • Conspiracy set up by all the business headshot photographers to cause all those who have a LinkedIn profile to outbid each other and spend $1,000 on photography. Don't listen to them you don't need $1,000 photo to get a job.
  • The article is probably factual and I'm sure in our world of surface glitz and little foundational substance, all it says about the need for such "creative" headshots is probably true, too. But please! This sentence cannot be left unscathed: "I consider myself a facial conveyance strategist." Holy shit!!! Its people like you who have knocked the English Language to its knees. What's wrong with being a photographer? This is worse than cleaners called "Environmental Services Specialists." You need to read G
  • Proudly off Linkedin since 2015. Changed jobs amid the pandemics and doubled my salary, without Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. April 2023 will be my 8-year anniversary off the crap above. The only tool I use is WhatsApp. I belong to 4 groups only. And yes, I work in IT infrastructure for almost 30 years. Currently technology tries to be essential when in reality it is not. Inflated profiles, unrealistic experiences and job functions, fake recommendations, straight up lying, advertisement of crap

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