Why You Need an Updated Professional Headshot

How long has it been since you had your headshot updated?

Regardless of your line of work, your image matters. It’s more important in some fields than others, but it always matters. Part of that professional image is to have a high-quality, professional, updated headshot. If you haven’t gotten new headshots in a couple of years, or if you’re reading this and thinking, “I’m supposed to have headshots?” this is your sign that it’s time, and for more reasons than one.

Putting a Face to the Name

When we do business today, we usually communicate with someone via email, Slack or other chat tools, LinkedIn, or other electronic means first, and we might never meet them in person. But sometimes that’s the case in our personal lives too.

When you’re communicating with someone electronically, all they know you by is a name…unless you have a headshot. A photo makes you more memorable and allows them to connect your face with your name. That can be particularly handy when job searching or when you don’t want to get lost in a pile.

Creating the Right Impression

Your headshot will be a vital part of the first impression you make on people personally and professionally because you’ll put it in your email signature, business cards, LinkedIn profile, and so on. In addition, a great headshot will make the right impression on your professional contact.

Keep in mind that it’s not just about making a positive impression – it’s about giving the person a sense of who you are from the start. A great headshot doesn’t just make you look good; it captures your brand. Whether you want colleagues to see you as corporate and traditional, creative and warm, or anything in between, your headshot should send that message.

Dialing Up the Professionalism

Even if you’re not trying to cultivate a stiff or formal image, you want people to see you as a professional who has their stuff together. No matter how skilled you might be at snapping selfies, a DIY headshot isn’t going to do that. Instead, a professional headshot shows that you’re on top and plan and strategize instead of making half-hearted efforts. That’s an asset in any industry.

Making Business Meetings Smoother

An up-to-date headshot doesn’t just take care of high-level things like helping you build a personal brand. It’s essential for practical reasons too.

Say you’ve been in talks with a new potential client, recruiter, or other colleagues online, and then you plan to meet for coffee to chat further. If the only picture they’ve seen of you is from ten years and three hairstyles ago, they might need help spotting you in person, getting the meeting off to an awkward start. That’s not helpful for anyone.

Getting a Great New Headshot is Easier Than You Think

If you’re discovering you’re overdue for a professional headshot, let’s talk! As a Charlotte portrait photographer, I know exactly how to capture your best side and create the professional brand you want in your headshot. Book your session today! And follow along on Instagram.