Professional profile photo tips, with pictures

A good photo helps people put a face to your name on LinkedIn, your CV Mojo portfolio and video interviews. You don’t need a photographer: a phone, a window and a few minutes will do it.

  • Just your phone
  • Nine simple tips
  • Free to use
See the tips Quick checklist

A photo for your profile, not your CV

In the UK, CVs don’t have a photo, and employers don’t expect one. Leaving it off keeps the focus on your skills and experience, and it’s why our CV builder never asks for your age or a photo.

These tips are for the places where a photo is normal:

  • LinkedIn and other professional profiles
  • Your CV Mojo portfolio and profile
  • Video interviews, where the same light and camera tips apply

Nine tips, with pictures

Each tip shows what to try, and the common slip to avoid. Same person, same phone, small changes.

  1. Framing

    Head and shoulders, with your eyes about a third of the way down.

    Profile photos are often shown small and in a circle, so your face needs to fill most of it. Leave a little space above your head and let your shoulders run off the bottom of the photo.

    A man with short hair, framed head and shoulders, smiling
    Try this: Head and shoulders fill most of the frame, with your eyes about a third of the way down.
    The same man standing far away in a room, very small in the picture
    Instead of this: A tiny figure far away. Shown small, nobody can see your face.
    The same man so close to the camera that his forehead is cut off
    Instead of this: So close that the top of your head is cut off.

  2. Camera height

    Put the camera at eye level.

    Prop your phone on a shelf or a pile of books, or ask a friend to hold it level with your eyes, a step or two away. Zoom in a little rather than moving very close: phone lenses stretch faces close up.

    A woman with long red hair, photographed from eye level, smiling
    Try this: The camera level with your eyes, so you look straight at it.
    The same woman photographed from below, with the ceiling and a light behind her
    Instead of this: The phone on a table looking up, which shows the ceiling and the underside of your chin.

  3. Light

    Face a window for soft, even light.

    Daylight from a window in front of you is the easiest good light there is. Turn off the ceiling light, and on a very sunny day step back from the window or draw a thin curtain to soften it.

    A woman with natural curly hair, evenly lit by daylight from a window, smiling
    Try this: Facing a window: soft light across your whole face.
    The same woman lit from straight above, with shadows under her eyes, nose and chin
    Instead of this: A ceiling light right above you, with dark shadows under your eyes and chin.
    The same woman in front of a bright window, her face in shadow
    Instead of this: A bright window behind you, so your face comes out dark.

  4. Background

    Keep it plain or softly blurred.

    A plain wall works well. Stand a step or two in front of it rather than right against it, which looks more natural and avoids a hard shadow behind you. Portrait mode on a phone can blur what’s behind you.

    A woman in a navy hijab in front of a soft, blurred background, smiling
    Try this: A plain wall or a soft, blurry background, so your face stands out.
    The same woman in front of a cluttered room with shelves, a plant and washing
    Instead of this: A busy room behind you: shelves, washing and clutter pull the eye away from you.

  5. Posture

    Sit or stand tall, with your shoulders slightly angled.

    Turn your body a little to one side, then turn your face back to the camera. Sit up straight and bring your chin slightly forward and down: it looks more natural on camera than it feels.

    A man with his hair in a bun and glasses, shoulders slightly angled, sitting tall and smiling
    Try this: Shoulders slightly angled, back straight, chin a little forward.
    The same man slumped, with his head down
    Instead of this: Slumped, with your head dropped.
    The same man facing the camera square-on, shoulders raised and stiff
    Instead of this: Square-on and stiff, with your shoulders up.

  6. Expression

    A natural, relaxed smile, looking at the camera.

    Think of someone you like, or have a friend chat to you while they take the photos. Take lots and pick the one that looks most like you on a good day. A closed-mouth smile is fine too.

    A man with a beard and very short hair, smiling at the camera
    Try this: A relaxed smile, looking straight into the lens.
    The same man looking away to one side
    Instead of this: Looking away from the camera.
    The same man with a wide, forced grin and raised eyebrows
    Instead of this: A forced, too-wide grin.

  7. Clothes

    Wear what you’d wear to an interview in your field.

    Solid colours work best: pick one that stands out from your background. What counts as smart depends on the job, so if you work in a kitchen, on a ward or on site, your work clothes can be exactly right.

    A woman in a navy jacket and white top
    Try this: Office jobs: a plain shirt, top or jacket.
    A woman with locs wearing blue scrubs
    Try this: Healthcare: scrubs or your uniform can be just right.
    A man with a beard wearing chef’s whites
    Try this: Kitchens: chef’s whites show what you do.
    A man in a turban wearing a hi-vis work vest
    Try this: Trades: clean workwear fits your field.
    A woman in a top with a busy, bright pattern
    Instead of this: Busy patterns that pull the eye away from your face.
    The same woman in a hoodie with a big logo
    Instead of this: Big logos, or something more casual than you’d wear to the interview.

  8. Grooming

    Tidy, and looking like you on a good working day.

    Natural hair, religious dress and head coverings, glasses and beards are all completely fine. Nobody needs to change who they are for a profile photo. Wear glasses if you usually do, and tilt them down very slightly so they don’t catch the light.

    A woman with her natural hair in a puff, smiling
    Try this: Natural hair, worn the way you usually wear it.
    A woman wearing a teal hijab, smiling
    Try this: Religious dress and head coverings: of course.
    An older woman with long grey hair and glasses, smiling
    Try this: Glasses on if you wear them, tilted slightly to avoid glare.
    The same woman with light reflecting off her glasses so her eyes are hidden
    Instead of this: Glare across your glasses, hiding your eyes.

  9. Phone tips

    Your phone is all you need.

    • Use the back camera. It usually takes better photos than the front one.
    • Prop the phone at eye level and use the timer, or ask a friend to take it.
    • Try portrait mode if it looks natural. Turn it off if it smudges your hair or glasses.
    • Use a recent photo that looks like you today.
    • No heavy filters, beauty modes or sunglasses.
    • Just you in the shot: no cropped-out friends.
    • Keep it sharp and full size: upload the original, not a screenshot or a copy sent through a messaging app.
    A woman with a black bob, smiling, in a clear photo against a soft background
    Try this: A recent photo from the back camera, at eye level: just you, looking like you.
    The same woman cropped from a party photo, with someone else’s hand on her shoulder
    Instead of this: Cropped from a group photo, with a stray shoulder or hand at the edge.
    The same woman in sunglasses with a pink sparkly filter
    Instead of this: Sunglasses or a heavy filter.

On a video interview

The same tips work on camera, live. Before the call:

  • Raise your laptop on a few books so the camera is level with your eyes.
  • Sit facing a window, not with one behind you.
  • Choose a plain wall, or use your video app’s background blur.
  • Wear what you’d wear to the interview in person.
  • Look at the camera when you’re talking, not at your own picture.
  • Test it all with a quick call to a friend the day before.

Getting ready for the questions too? Read common interview questions and how to answer them.

Quick checklist

Tick them off as you take your photo. Nothing is saved: it’s just for you.

Profile photos: your questions

Should I put a photo on my UK CV?

No. In the UK a CV doesn’t normally have a photo, and employers don’t expect one. A photo can show things like your age, ethnicity or religion, which should play no part in who gets an interview, so leaving it off keeps the focus on your skills and experience. It also leaves more room for what matters. The exception is a job where the advert asks for a headshot, such as acting or modelling. Our CV builder never asks for your age or a photo.

What size should my LinkedIn photo be?

Use a clear, recent photo that is square or close to it, at a good resolution: the original from your phone, not a screenshot or a small copy. LinkedIn shows profile photos in a circle, so keep your head and shoulders in the middle with a little space around them, and check the preview before you save. LinkedIn’s help pages list the current size limits if you want the exact numbers.

Do I need a professional photographer?

No. A phone does a good job if you use the back camera, face a window and set the camera at eye level, on a timer or with a friend taking it. Take plenty of shots and pick the one that looks most like you. A photographer is a nice extra if you want one, not a must.

Can I use an AI headshot?

You can, but be careful. Your photo has to look like you: the person who joins the video call or walks into the interview should be the person in the picture. Check it keeps your own face shape, skin tone, hair, features and age, with no smoothing or slimming, and that the clothes and background look real. Read the app’s privacy terms before you upload photos of your face. If in doubt, a good phone photo is the safer choice.

Can I wear my head covering or glasses, and my hair as it naturally is?

Yes, of course. Your photo should look like you on a good working day, and that includes religious dress and head coverings, glasses, and your hair as you normally wear it. Nobody needs to change who they are for a profile photo. If your glasses catch the light, tilt them down very slightly or move the light to one side.

Does my CV Mojo portfolio need a photo?

No, it’s up to you. Your portfolio uses your profile photo, and if you don’t add one, your initials show instead. A friendly photo does help people put a face to your name. Anyone can build a portfolio; publishing it is part of Pro and the Job-ready pass.

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