Job Search Networking: How to Get a Wonderful Picture for Your Social Networking Profiles.

Fast—easy—free! Here is how you can get a warm, engaging picture for your profile. If you are thinking of adding or changing a picture on your profile, I’m delighted to share something I’ve recently discovered.

The next time you are doing something fun with someone you love have them take your picture. Cell phone pictures seem to work just fine. Our faces convey feelings and expressions when we’re with people we love that I find nearly impossible to duplicate in other perhaps more formal settings. So much for my aspirations to be a big star!

Obviously you’ll leave out the balloon animals or the Margarita glasses and wear business oriented attire, but that’s all you have to pay attention to.

Crop appropriately and you’ll have a picture that makes people feel you are someone they would like to get to know.

In working with my clients to create their personal high-velocity formula for finding a job in the hidden job market, I noticed that some pictures make the person seem to be approachable, friendly and warm. Other pictures don’t have the same impact.

So I started to ask people about the circumstances in which their picture was taken. Turns out the great pictures shared something the less engaging pictures lacked. Great pictures were taken under the circumstances described above.

If you go the professional photo route, which can result in great pictures, consider taking a loved one with you. Even if they have four legs and fur.