It is always helpful to be able to put a face with a name. An inanimate object, such as a resume containing lists of tasks, qualifications and credentials, can be impersonal. That’s why our guest blogger, Mimi West, has suggested to include a professional photo in your online job application. Instead of seeing a list, you see a person. Learn how putting a face to a name helped Mimi land an interview, and eventually a job.
Attach a Professional Head Shot
Post graduation, it took me a while to find a job. Even my personalized cover letters weren’t doing the trick. To my surprise, when I started attaching a professional head shot of myself, the calls started rolling in. Soon afterward I received two offers.
After accepting one of the jobs, the interviewer told me that my picture had caught his attention. Though he considered it to be a breach in ethics, my smile added dimension to the application. He could even imagine a warm, professional voice speaking the words in my cover letter. It garnered trust before he even picked up the phone to call me.
Mimi West, CEO, My Dream Teacher
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Do you include a head shot with your online job application? Or as an employer do you gravitate towards applications containing a photo?
