Your resume is among the most important documents about yourself you’ll ever create. A well written resume, one that includes these ten resume tips, can mean the difference between landing an interview and being instantly overlooked.
Most hiring managers will spend only a few seconds, at most, reviewing resumes submitted to them. This means your resume must stand out to be noticed. So, in order to immediately stand out, should you include a photo on your resume? It’s a great question.
So, let's dig in.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And now, research from UC San Diego has proven it. The study showed “that a single picture has the power to sway people, changing how they behave, while a single word does not.”[1]
Essentially, photos “move” people more than words, and resumes are all words.
Now, since it only takes the human brain about 13 milliseconds to process an image, and images are powerful, it would make sense to use your headshot on your resume.[2]
You’d instantly stand out to the hiring manager, especially if no other candidates are using one.
So, clearly you should include a photo on your resume, right?
Well, not so fast. Before we get into some of the reasons why you should not use a photo on your resume, you’ll want to find a job to submit your resume to.
FindYourJobNow.com has made finding jobs, thousands of different ones, simple. Just go to FindYourJobNow.com and use the search bars to find almost any kind of job you’re looking for, in any area of the US. Chances are you’ll find a job that’s a great fit for you.
Now, before submitting your resume to any of the thousands of employers on FindYourJobNow.com, you’ll want to be sure your resume does not have any photos on it…
Here’s why:
Unless you’re applying for an acting or modeling job, most employers don’t care what you look like, as the “role” you’re applying for is all about your skillset.
Your resume should be only 1 page long. This means that a photo takes up far too much space, leaving you little room to highlight your hard, soft, and transferrable skills and education.
Additionally, companies in the US must adhere to strict anti-discrimination laws. Hiring managers may need to prove (in case of a lawsuit) that they do not hire based on any physical attributes like race, gender, or age.
To avoid these kinds of lawsuits, most employers prefer no images be used on resumes; to eliminate any psychological biases they may or may not have, right off the bat.
Of course, if you have a LinkedIn profile, you can, and probably do have a photo of yourself there. If you’re dead set on showing an employer what you look like, this is the place to do it, as it’s become the social norm.
Plus, if an employer is looking at your LinkedIn profile, after you’ve submitted a resume, chances are they’re interested in what you have to bring to the table.
So, unless you’re applying for a job that requires you “look” a certain way (like an actor or model) don’t include your photo on your resume. Instead, use the space wisely to highlight why you’d be a great fit for the job, and save your photos for LinkedIn.
Now that you know why you shouldn’t use a photo on your resume, head over to FindYourJobNow.com’s Resources Page to discover additional tips on how to write your resume and nail a job interview.
[1] Pictures Move People More than Words (ucsd.edu)
[2] 29 Incredible Stats that Prove the Power of Visual Marketing | Movable Ink