16 Sep How To Know When It’s Time To Update Your Headshot
The world of business moves quickly, and your visual profile must move with it. If you feel yourself becoming dated or out of touch, it may be time to update your headshot.
Below are some of the telltale signs that it’s time to consider a new photo to represent you.
Do you look noticeably different than in your last headshot?
In the dating world, they call it a “catfish.” If you come through the door looking substantially differently from your headshot, you may immediately cause an offputting response from a decision maker.
Although the value of your service or company has nothing to do with your direct physical appearance, people view folks with a “catfish” headshot as untrustworthy. Even if this reaction is subconscious, it still exists, and it can affect your ability to win clients or make a great impression within a social circle. If you have:
- Changed your hair color
- Moved to or away from wearing glasses
- Lost or gained a noticeable amount of weight
- Visibly aged
—it is probably time for a new headshot.
If you are a professional, remember that you are always being employed by your clients. It is more important for you to have an updated headshot than a “job seeker,” because you are interviewing with new clients every day.
60% of employers will check out your social media profile before calling you in for an interview. Some of them may even print out your primary avatar. Make sure that you look somewhat like your picture, or you risk starting off on the wrong foot before you ever get a chance to say a word.
Have styles changed?
If you notice that the clothing, hairstyle or accessories you are wearing in your current headshot are not the same things you’d pick today, you should consider an update.
Keep in mind, when trying to create a professional business profile for yourself, that you’ll need to mute the “trendy” portion of yourself for a more professional look. According to surveyed employers, 70% of applicants for a job are eliminated on sight at an interview for being too trendy, overtly fashionable. Or, of course, if their appearance is simply too loud.
An appropriate business wardrobe won’t make a negative impression, either because it is classic and polished or because it draws no attention whatsoever. Use these guidelines to evaluate your current headshot and to help you select the style you’ll choose for your updated one.
Has your business changed?
You may have been trying to evoke a specific emotion when you first took a headshot, and now your brand has changed. For instance, lawyers who move from corporate into civil law will usually change their headshots to cut a much less imposing figure.
The market may also change around you. If the perspective you capture in a headshot no longer fits the narrative of your industry, then, of course, you need to update your look!
As the Internet allows consumers to move at their own speed, you can expect these industry-wide changes to occur much more often, meaning that you should always be looking to update your headshot if the need arises.
Has your personality or brand changed?
When it comes to business, aging isn’t always a bad thing. The years of experience you’ve gained in your industry are worth more than the years themselves. Rather than cursing the passing of time, embrace the changes to your skill levels and personality, and use your headshot to represent these changes.
As you move forward in your career, you may also want to update your headshot to reflect your newfound responsibility.
Overall, your headshot should reflect the most current and authentic version of you; when you walk through a door to make a personal impression, this is the person people will be expecting. Anything else will cause a disruption in the conversation, which slows down business.
When you are ready to take your headshot to the next level, the dedicated experts at NYC Headshot stand ready to give you the best service in the business. Give us a call or request an appointment today!