Your LinkedIn profile page is the foundation for your personal branding and your profile picture is a key element of your LinkedIn presence because it is your first chance to make a good impression. Just like when you go on a job interview, the first impression you give a recruiter matters the most, so the quality of your profile picture is incredibly important. And some people make major mistakes with their profile pictures.

We’ve put together a list of 26 useful tips that will help you take a professional LinkedIn profile picture that represents you as a strong prospective employee:

1. Do not use a dated photo no matter how young and attractive you look
2. Pick an up-to-date photo
3. Don’t take selfies
4. Don’t use images where you’ve cropped others out of the frame
5. Don’t use a logo in place of your face
6. Don’t use images with multiple people
7. When you pick your photo use a site like Photofeeler and find out what your pics are really saying about you
8. Take a headshot
9. To make a great first impression pay a professional to get a great photo
10. Your photo should have great quality, lighting, and high resolution
11. Have your makeup done by a professional
12. Don’t have a background that is so busy it detracts from the headshot
13. Choose a simple background or one that truly exudes your personal brand
14. Do not include objects, pets, or children
15. Look approachable
16. You can wear glasses to look more seriously
17. Your photo should convey your positive energy, confidence, enthusiasm, and professionalism
18. Make sure that your photo depicts you in a manner appropriate for your field
19. Choose the right expression
20. Smile – it’s the universal welcome symbol
21. Dress in a way that reflects who you are and is relevant for your target audience 
22. Avoid wearing a strapless dress, top, or anything else too revealing
23. Face forward so you can look into the eyes of those checking you out
24. Your chest should be open with a slight lean towards that camera
25. Your shoulders should be relaxed 
26. It is a good idea to use the same photo for all your professional and social networking profile pictures 

If you want to learn how to use LinkedIn to your advantage when job searching, check out our online course “How To Create An Amazing Linkedin Profile And Polish Your Online Presence.”