“You don’t appear like your LinkedIn photograph”
Have you ever ever been hit with this devastating realization, that the sands of time have handed sooner than you felt, and now, you’re wanting considerably totally different to what you as soon as did?
You’re not alone. I personally am not a fan of images, and customarily simply follow the few professionally taken pictures I’ve of myself, which have been taken for various functions through the years.
However time does certainly hold transferring, and people pictures will turn into old-fashioned. After which, they received’t appear like you do anymore, which may be jarring if you meet folks in actual life, and so they’re anticipating to see a unique individual earlier than them.
Which may be significantly related on LinkedIn, the place folks go to seek out out extra about your skilled expertise.
So when was the final time that you just up to date your LinkedIn profile picture?
To glean some extra perception into this, the crew from Passport Photos Online not too long ago surveyed 1,040 active LinkedIn users from the U.S. about their profile updating behaviors, and the way they understand others.
Right here’s what they discovered.
First off, simply over half of the survey contributors mentioned that they’ve had the identical LinkedIn profile photograph for 3 years or extra.
Which is not any shock. Most individuals should not overly assured with their portrait photographs, so that you default to essentially the most professional-looking, or final professionally taken picture that you’ve.
Certainly, the survey additionally discovered that round 45% of individuals are dissatisfied with their LinkedIn profile picture.
Look, we’re not all supermodels, and for many of us, we’re simply attempting to place our greatest foot ahead, and there aren’t all the time a heap of choices on this entrance. So sure, numerous us are utilizing previous pictures, however the survey additionally confirmed that having an up-to-date image is vital.

Even those that haven’t up to date their headshot agree that they need to. So if it’s one thing that you just’ve been laying aside, you in all probability have to replace your LinkedIn picture, in any case, to make sure that you really appear like you forward of in-person conferences.
As a result of 56% of respondents additionally indicated that they’ve met somebody who regarded quite a bit totally different to their LinkedIn profile pic, which, occurring this ingredient, is sensible:

Although there was additionally one significantly fascinating notice among the many knowledge factors:
“Roughly 17% of LinkedIn account holders haven’t up to date their profile headshot but resulting from age discrimination issues.”
Sadly, that is nonetheless a think about many individuals’s considering, and one thing that ought to be addressed at knowledgeable stage. Nevertheless it does make sense. But, even then, there’ll nonetheless be a disconnect between the way you current your self on-line, and the way you look IRL.
For most individuals, presenting your self is a problem, and never one thing that comes naturally, and posing for images can really feel unnatural and surprisingly troublesome. However there are vital causes for preserving your on-line illustration updated, and it’s possible value contemplating if you final up to date your LinkedIn profile, particularly, and perhaps giving that photograph a refresh.
Perhaps, in future, this can be much less related, as we’ll all be assembly within the metaverse, through avatars which can be ageless. However proper now, IRL stays an vital ingredient, and on LinkedIn specifically, that’s value factoring in.
Now to replace my very own profile picture.
You possibly can learn extra of Passport Images On-line’s survey notes here.