How often should I update my headshot? I get asked that question almost weekly, so I thought I’d chat about it here. While it does depend on your industry, a good guide is to update it every 18 to 24 months. There are some exceptions though with the most obvious being if you’ve changed your hair style or colour. If you had a beard and cut it, or grown one for that matter, then it’s definitely time to update. The thing that we all deny though is the fact that we’re getting older and things just change. A couple of extra lines here and there make a difference and that headshot that you had taken five years ago isn’t exactly a great representation of how you look now.
Why keeping your headshot up to date is important.
Remember, people will judge you in under THREE seconds when they see you. (I actually believe it’s under one second, but we’ll go with the official stats) So what will a potential think when they see an image of you taken five (or more) years ago and then meet you in person now? Let me tell you what they think. The first thing they think is “They don’t look like the photo we saw online”. Subconsciously, it adds an element of doubt into your dealings with that person. You need to eliminate the doubt. Your photo is like your online business card which is selling you before the potential client has even made the first contact with you. That’s why it is so important to have a professional image of yourself out there. Images taken with your phone or with a “Good camera” just don’t cut it anymore. You need to be posed correctly, look (and feel) comfortable and, most of all, look approachable to your potential clients.
The other question I constantly get asked is, How much does it cost? I’m going to talk about that next week but I hope that the above insight might help you in your decision as to when you need to update your corporate headshot next.
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