Remote Working

It is not fresh news that since the pandemic, there have been more and more people working remotely. Still, maybe 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.

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.

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 besides your name when someone receives an email.

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.

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 either support or (negatively) impacts every other piece of information you share with your coworkers along 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 helps you be seen.

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.

If you want to learn more about headshots for professionals and 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:

• Headshots & Business Portraits

• Professional Photography. Part I.

• Pro Headshots Page