AUTHOR PROFILE
Emilio Castro
In my role at the studio, as the Studio Manager, I take pride in keeping the logistics of our work running smoothly for our clients from first contact to delivery. I like to think that our customer service is second to none.
Of course, having been married to Sabrina for over +25 years, I truly enjoy her every achievement as she creates beautiful work for our clients and her own projects.
I have a background in Accounting & Business Management and have worked in the Oil & Gas industry for over 17 years leading supply chain teams in international and domestic markets. I achieved the Lean Bronze Certification during my time at Halliburton and later discovered the benefit of Scrum and Agile Project Management when working for BP. I am a fan of continuous improvement and enjoy leading diverse teams of every kind while working for those large companies.
I'm also a self-taught web developer and coder, a Certified Remote Pilot (I fly our drones), and a self-published fantasy author, among many other small feats and accidents.
AUTHOR
SUMMARY & CONTENTS
This article is a quick five-minutes read looking into the renewed role of professional headshots and personal branding in the new work environment dominated by remote work and increasing online presence for professionals and workers in all industries.
INTRODUCTION
The workplace in America has always been a competitive environment, constantly evolving from the time Henry Ford developed the first assembly line and Frederick Taylor pushed his Scientific Management principles to the upcoming artificial intelligence revolution.
Progressing in any organization goes beyond individual performance. Career progression often involves managing people and interacting with vendors and clients. Here is where emotional intelligence plays a factor built upon soft skills and people skills.
None of the above is new, but it stands to logic that professionals and workers must look beyond performance to help their careers, and here is where an often overlooked element comes to play with us as photographers: your headshot.
WE ARE VISUAL CREATURES
Yes, we all are visual creatures, and while being pretty shouldn't be the reason for anyone to move ahead in an organization, understanding the importance that your image carries to others as a representation of your team and your company does make a difference.
Your image is a combination of your physical image and your online presence within an organization. And, you can reach only so many people in person during your busy work schedule. At the same time, your headshot, and other business portrait images, aren't limited by the time you spend with each other individual in your company and beyond. Your headshot and personal branding work all the time for you, for good or for bad, and they are seen (and judged) without you being around to defend them.
The larger an organization is, the more critical your digital footprint is. Headshots are not just a first-impression maker but a lasting impression that your supervisors, colleagues, and direct reports will constantly come upon in their Microsoft Outlook systems, Microsoft Teams calls, email signatures, corporate directories, org charts, LinkedIn profiles, and more.
Is your headshot the best impression of the professional you are?
REMOTE WORKING
It is not fresh news that since the pandemic, more and more people have been working remotely. Still, the unexpected aspect of the whole situation was that remote working lasted this long for many and that the workplace has become a hybrid system.
Most of your coworkers don't see you in person as often as they did before or never at all
One of those changes that come with remote working is that most of your coworkers don’t see you in person as often as they did before. That’s when your headshot becomes your avatar representing you in the workplace; people see your headshot more than they see you.
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
That lack of face-to-face interaction is even more acute for young professionals who just recently joined the workforce and started working from day one from home. While the deal has many benefits, such as saving you a long commute or having to relocate, there is also a massive impact on the social aspect of connecting with the people who work with you. That is not a minor detail to overlook.
Getting to know the rest of the team is important for effective teamwork and communication. When people don't get to know you, they will use other pieces of information to understand who you are and how you work. That's where your headshot (and any other images of you that you share professionally) will play a more significant role in your career and interactions with coworkers, supervisors, and direct reports.
The gap in social clues caused by the lack of face-to-face contact also drives more social media connections with coworkers to fill the gap.
NETWORKING & YOUR HEADSHOT
In addition to the above is the matter of networking; and how your network becomes both: your job security and your source of new job opportunities. Building a solid network is hard to do when you cannot shake hands, share lunch, chat after a meeting or before while having a coffee, etc., but that does not mean that the opportunity isn't there, just that in order to build a strong network you have to work with the online portals, social media and digital media that is replacing those other opportunities.
If your company, as most these days, uses Microsoft Office and Outlook, you know that your headshot shows right there, beside your name, when someone receives an email from you.
While many people pay no attention to their corporate profile picture, the truth is that your headshot is a key part of your branding and tells a lot about you.
HOW GOOD IS YOUR HEADSHOT?
Is your headshot a professional headshot or just a selfie? Did you go to a studio or just cropped a photo from your wedding? Are you smiling, or do you look too serious? Is your headshot current, or is it one of those photos where you look just out of college?
I’m sure you have seen all the above situations in your workplace and the same counts for LinkedIn. Your headshot is part of your personal presentation, and your headshot either supports or (negatively) impacts every other piece of information you share with your coworkers during your working day.
Think about your headshot as your most important marketing; working for you as a good logo works for a brand. You need a headshot that makes you feel confident and helps you reach your goals.
REAL WORKPLACE STORY
About real workplace stories and opportunities for your new headshot to play a role in your career, check this review from Ricardo (Ricardo's Review). After having his new headshot, he found himself at a Zoom call with the CIO and a few other top executives and his headshot was at the level he needed to shine.
MORE
If you want to learn more about headshots for professionals and personal branding, please call us at the studio at 281.665.3868 or fill out our contact form (here Booking & Information).
And if you want to read more about business portraits, then feel free to explore our suggestions below:
Curious about some of the concepts in this post? Check the following articles for fun (if that's your kind of fun!)
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS
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Remote Working And Why Your Headshot Matters The Most
by Emilio Castro
The Photographer's Blog
Issue #018