Can I add a Photo

Article on frequently asked resume question "Can I add a Photo"

With the resume world expanding to become just as socially interactive as the Internet that now supports its posting and sending-many applicants are wondering what they should and shouldn’t include as a part of their online profiles and resumes. For example, perhaps you’ve seen career sites that offer a means to upload a photo of yourself for candidacy. How do employers really think of this? And when it is applicable? When isn’t it?

It is, of course, a given that any industry that has a person in the spotlight-such as acting or modeling-would require a physical representation as a part of the application; but it is only a novelty that has sprung up recently in the career world. The first question you must ask yourself, is would they benefit from a photo or would it cast a negative slant to hiring process. It could be for a number of reasons that a person reviewing your photo resume turns it away-based on how professional you may look, confidence level, or picture quality. So, if you choose this route, it’s necessary that you are prepared for this reaction.

While it is a good idea to get your employers connected to you as a person-the whole package-it really depends on you; how you feel about offering a photo of yourself-or perhaps a video resume. While most often, it is entirely up to you if you want to add that personal element to the resume and hiring process; other times, employers will ask for a photo. In this case, it is expected-but in others, it is implicit that you do not need one. Employers will either appreciate its freshness or be unfriendly about its appearance-and unfortunately, you will never know if taking this step was helpful or less than helpful to your acquiring the job.