Need a Professional Headshot? Career Development Can Help.
Students can get free headshots and learn about the importance of managing their LinkedIn profiles at a Dec. 4 event in the Buhl Atrium.
What does it take to look professional?
Find out on Monday, Dec. 4, during an informational session in the Buhl Atrium covering best practices for taking professional headshots and developing LinkedIn profiles. Hosted by Chatham University’s Office of Career Development, the Chatham Marketing Association, and the Entrepreneurship Club, the event will go from 5-7 p.m. and give students a chance to have their own headshots taken.
Kate Sheridan, the director of the Career Development office, spoke to Pulse this week about why a good headshot and a solid LinkedIn profile can help move your resume to the top of the pile. (These responses have been lightly edited for clarity.)
The Office of Career Development’s advice for a good headshot:
Use a high-quality image and feature the individual, first and foremost.
A solid or neutral background is important.
The photo subject should be in professional or neutral clothing.
Integrating some creativity and personality can be a nice touch. Photographers may want to carry a camera in their picture, while graphic designers could add their own aesthetic flair to theirs.
The office suggested looking at examples by photographer Tony Moux and this gallery of headshots for ideas.
What is the Office of Career Development's involvement with this headshot and LinkedIn session?
The Career Development office will present to attendees the many benefits and uses of LinkedIn as a professional networking and development tool. LinkedIn is used by over 950 million people worldwide as a platform for expanding and staying connected with professional networks, engaging in professional development and learning opportunities, staying on top of trends across various professional fields, and job search and recruitment efforts. It is a critical tool for students to have and use as they enter into the job market. The Career Development office also offers one-on-one appointments to students to review the LinkedIn platform, help students improve their individual profiles, and understand how to use the platform for their benefit.
Kate Sheridan is the director of Chatham’s Office of Career Development. (Rick Muzzey)
What can students expect to see and learn if they come to this session?
Students will learn best practices for their own individual LinkedIn profiles – what information to include, how to showcase their work and accomplishments, and how to maximize profile information – as well as some of the platform’s advanced features that will help students grow their networks, connect with organizations and associations in their fields of interest, and market themselves for jobs through the platform.
What should students focus on when building their LinkedIn profile?
Your LinkedIn profile should align with your resume and contain the same amount of information, and in many cases more. LinkedIn is dynamic and has features like the portfolio that allow you to showcase examples of work and visuals in a way that your resume doesn’t. Follow people, organizations, and professional associations that inspire you. Grow your network by connecting with everyone you know – the power of LinkedIn is in the network you grow and utilize.
What is the big takeaway from this event? Does the Office of Career Development have any advice for people who can't be there?
Every student should create, update, and maintain their LinkedIn profile, stat! It is on par with having a solid resume in today’s job market. There are lots of great resources to help you create a strong and effective profile, and our office is one of them!