FORRESTIMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY

Zachary Joseph

 

Why you should have a Work Headshot

 

When people go to get a job, what do they do have that represent their brand? A resume? Well, that makes sense as it contains theur job history, education, and all of their skills. What about a portfolio? That makes sense as well. A portfolio contains a history of the individual’s best works and shows what they can do. Although, portfolios mostly apply to those in the Arts industry, such as artists, writers, photographers, and actors. The answer to this specific question is none of those things, it is a headshot.

 

A headshot is when a person takes a picture of themselves that encapsulates their face. Headshots are taken from the chest up in front of a background and are used for a variety of places liked LinkedIn. Many people take their headshots in a studio or at least hire a professional to take their photo for them. There are a lot of potential backgrounds to use such as the sides of buildings and nature that do not fit in a studio. Furthermore a professional photographer has the skills to make sure the shot looks good. They also have their own lighting and photography equipment. This saves both time learning to take a good phot and a shopping spree for photography equipment and editing software, things a person may never use again after the photo is ready. 

 

This brings the question as to why people go about their way to get a professional-looking headshot, to the point of hiring people to make it for them. It would simply be easier and more cost-effective to take a few snapshots at home. This is a bad idea as the headshot does more than simply show a person’s face, it is their brand. 

 

A headshot represents what services a person can provide. Musicians can carry their instrument of choice in their headshot. An office worker may want to take their headshot in their workplace. Even some actors have multiple headshots for multiple different roles. There a re variety of genres, each with its unique style and themes that no single headshot can capture by itself. If they want to star in a legal drama, perhaps they wold wear a suit and stand respectfully. Conrvesely, if they want to star in a skater-boy romance story, maybe they would wear casual street-clothese leaning against a wall with their foot on a skateboard? There are a lot of ways to represent a person’s brand in a headshot and these ideas only scratch the surface of every possibility.

 

Getting a person’s headshot done correctly is also of great importance. First impressions are important, especially when companies sift through thousands of potential employees only to pick one or a handful. If a company sees that a potential employee took a sloppy headshot, chances are they will not bother to read the rest of the profile. That person could have had years of experience or grand hopes and dreams but all that does not matter to businesses. They only care if people can hold up a job. But it is also about convenience as hiring managers or casting directors often sift through many people to hire on top of other duties. A casting director will even throw an application away if the headshot is printed in the incorrect size. A bad headshot is as if someone shows up to work wearing unkempt pajamas and different colored shoes. If a company sees that a person cannot be bothered to take care of themselves, they will not think that person will be able to handle a job. 

 

On the other hand, companies that see an exceptionally-taken work headshot can ace first impressions and make them want to give this employee a chance. It shows a commitment to quality which any company would want. As stated above, headshots represent a person’s brand. A professional work headshot proves the potential employee values quality and will give the job the time, effort, and enthusiasm needed to perform adequately. 

 

Professional headshots are also versatile. As stated multiple times a headshot is an inidviudal’s brand, and that brand is not limited to applying directly to jobs. People can upload their headshots to social media sites like LinkedIn, where they can show their brand to thousands upon thousands of potential employers. Headshots are also handy when designing business cards. They are also good for advertisements, such as online, paper-flyers, and if people have the budget, billboards. There are many ways to use a work headshot to both get hired and grow a business.