Should Resumes be a Photo-Free Zone?

Ask five people if you should have a photo on a resume, and you’ll likely get a tie in votes. Two will say yes, two will say no, and one will waffle.

Those who are pro-photo tell me that it humanizes the resume, puts a face to a name, and can help candidates stand out among the pile of resumes.

My vote on the topic is to say no to the photo. Hiring managers go out of their way to eliminate bias, in some cases even redacting applicant names to reduce the risk of bias. Add a photo and they will be able to make assumptions on things like age, race, and gender. Who wants that? Sure, a hiring manager can hop over to LinkedIn and view your profile picture, but at least their first glance at your qualifications will be just that: a focus on what qualifies you for the job, and not what you look like.

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