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Should You Include a Picture on Your Resume in 2023? Is it a Bad Idea?

You want your resume to stand out and get noticed, but in the best way. The right layout, font, structure, and information with the right flow are all essential elements you need to get correct, so your resume serves its primary purpose—to get you noticed, secure an interview, and hopefully, land the job.

In addition to getting these elements right on a strong resume that works for you, many ask, “Should I put my picture on my resume?”

In most instances, you should avoid putting a picture on your resume. Reasons to include and not include a picture on your resume are outlined here.

Table of Contents
Three Reasons Not to Put Pictures on Resumes
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Two Reasons to Use a Resume Picture
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Tips When Including a Photo on Your Resume
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Three Reasons Not to Put Pictures on Resumes

In most industries, using a picture on your resume is not recommended for the following reasons.

Comparison chart of why you should or should not add a picture on your resume with bullet points.

1. Images Can Throw off Applicant Tracking Systems

Depending on the sophistication of the applicant tracking system (ATS) a company uses, images can impact how the ATS reads the resume. In some instances, it can skew tracking and search results. Therefore, it’s better to play it safe and avoid placing pictures on resumes.

2. Pictures Can Distract the Reader

A picture on a resume can be distracting to the hiring manager or recruiter viewing it. This is especially true if the image is poorly placed or too large or the industry doesn’t ask for it. Since you want the reader to focus on your competencies and skills, leave the image off so that it’s not the first thing that grabs attention. Small accent pictures on resumes are usually fine if the resume is human screened, but if you’re applying for a creative role, it’s best to keep your past designs in a separate portfolio.

3. You Only Have So Much Room

A resume's primary purpose is to explain why you’re a good fit for the job. Based on your years of experience, your resume should be one to two pages at most. With only so much room to include the essential elements that showcase your work history, education, and skillset, adding a picture can take up space that could be used for more relevant data.

Two Reasons to Use a Resume Picture

The following two reasons are cases when it could be appropriate to incorporate a picture on a resume.

1. It’s Customary for Your Location

In some areas, it’s customary to include a photo on your resume. According to Novoresume, these countries and regions include Africa, Asia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Middle East, Portugal, Scandinavian countries, Spain, and South America. Even so, some companies in these areas might request no photo be included on a resume or CV, and some local areas might have customs that don’t require a resume photo. In these two instances, you wouldn’t include a resume photo.

2. Your Industry Calls for It

The real estate industry is one sector where it’s common to put a picture on resumes. In real estate, a resume photo highlights the realtor or broker’s personality and helps instill trust in the home buyer or seller. The other industry where it’s common to incorporate a photo on resumes is the entertainment world. Actors and models, for example, often use a photo on their resumes since jobs often depend on how the look matches the role.

Tips When Including a Photo on Your Resume

Only in rare instances, such as the real estate and entertainment industries, will adding a photo add to your resume story. If you do incorporate a photo, it should be placed in the upper left- or right-hand corner next to your contact information. It should be a professional headshot that shows your personality for real estate and a professional branded headshot for the entertainment industry.

Resume template with tips for including a picture on your resume broken down into bullet points in an infographic.

Get Help Finding Jobs

As a recruiting firm, Advantis Global works with a large range of companies, from Fortune 50s to start-ups, seeking to place permanent and contract skilled tech talent. Our team of recruiters can support you in landing your next job at your ideal company.

And if you’re looking for a career or industry change, we can help with that, too. Often, the talent we place is looking for an industry or position change, and we help them make their expertise shine to make the change they want. Many times, it results in a higher-paying position.

Submit your resume or apply for a job on our website to get connected with a recruiter today.

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