Photo on your résumé? I suggest no!

Over the past year or two I have seen an increase in the number of students’ résumés on which they include a photograph.  On one hand, I can understand this trend – we have our photos on LinkedIn, which is used by a lot of recruiters.   On the other hand, we still hear from most employers that they do not want to see your picture on your résumé.  If you do a Google search for this concept, you will hear arguments on both sides.

But, I suggest that you avoid a photograph on your resume, and here’s why:

    1. Employers are still concerned about risk related to discrimination.  A photograph immediately indicates to them a number of protected statuses (gender, age, and race, in particular).  Including a photograph can make a recruiter uncomfortable, and generally that’s not a good thing to do.

    2. Many large companies use “applicant tracking systems” to scan and screen your resume.  Images on the document can negatively impact how your document is brought into their systems.

This is a subjective situation.  In some industries and in some countries, it’s more common to have a photo on the résumé.  I also recognize that it is expected that you would add your photo to your LinkedIn profile, and that creates a bit of a mixed message.  But, as long as we still hear from recruiters that images on résumés are not the norm, I’d recommend you exercise caution!

Gary Miller, Executive Director