Your profile picture is perhaps the most important weapon in your arsenal in making a great impression as a freelancer. Potential clients get bombarded with 100’s of profiles each day. To impress them you must take appropriate steps to ensure that your profile stands out. How do you do that? By making sure your profile picture impresses potential clients. Read on for our profile picture tips that every freelancer needs to follow:

1) Have a simple background:

Use a background which is simple. A solid wall or an uncluttered outdoor background without distractions is a great option. Too much clutter in the background has the effect of distracting the viewer. So keep it as simple as possible.

2) Use proper light:

Clicking your profile picture outdoors is a great way of ensuring you get enough light. If indoors, then take care not to have any overhead lights as they can create shadows. Use soft lighting with the help of filters if possible rather than loud fluorescent lights.

3) Ditch the full body pics:

Unless you are freelancing as a model, a full body photograph is not a good idea. Ensure that the photo captures your head and your shoulders. Face the camera and look into the lens not your photographer’s eyes.

4) Have a warm smile:

Studies have shown that potential employers prefer freelancers who smile. Doing so makes the freelancer seem more trustworthy and friendly too. Save that intense, brooding look for some other occasion.

5) Wear business attire:

Even though this is not always essential, erring on the side of caution does not hurt! Business attire will make you appear professional. If you would prefer wearing casual dress, don’t forget to iron them beforehand. And, don’t make the cardinal mistake of wearing your crumpled t-shirt and PJs for your profile photograph. Even though you may work in your sleepwear, you don’t want potential employers to get the impression that you are unprofessional.

6) Use a proper camera:

A webcam might be ideal for interviews with prospective clients. But, still photos using webcams don’t generally come out well. Even if you have a high-resolution webcam, the chances are that photographs using it will be grainy. You don’t necessarily need to get a high-end camera to take decent pictures. Nowadays, simple point and click cameras also deliver perfectly acceptable snaps.

7) Hire a professional photographer:

Invest in a professional photographer who can do the job for you. After all, this is your career we are talking about. Spending a few dollars now to get a professional photograph taken will pay off in the long run. You won’t need to worry about lighting, your attire or your facial expression. The photographer will guide you, and the result will be a photo which will make your profile stand out.

Having a good, professional profile picture is essential to catch the eye of potential clients. It’s sad but true; people do make judgments about others depending upon their appearance. A sloppy profile picture might lead to you getting ignored for a project. Follow the above tips to help ensure that the picture you upload on your profile helps you get ahead in the game.