Should You Put a Headshot on Your Resume? (And How to Do It Right)

This depends entirely on where you're applying. In some countries and industries, a resume photo is expected. In others, it can get your application thrown out. The rules aren't intuitive, and getting this wrong costs you opportunities.

Here's the breakdown by country, industry, and platform, plus how to do it right if the answer is yes.

The United States: Generally No

In the US, including a photo on your resume is generally discouraged.

Legal liability. US anti-discrimination laws (Title VII, ADA, ADEA) make it risky for employers to consider appearance-related factors in hiring. Many companies' HR departments will discard resumes with photos to avoid even the appearance of bias.

ATS systems. Most large US companies use Applicant Tracking Systems that parse resumes into text. Photos break parsing, create formatting errors, and can cause your resume to be rejected before a human sees it.

Cultural expectation. American resume conventions prioritize content over presentation. A photo signals that you don't understand the norms, which itself is a negative signal.

Exceptions:

• Acting, modeling, and on-camera roles (headshot is mandatory, but typically a separate document)
• Real estate, where your face IS your brand
• Some creative roles where personal branding is part of the job

If you're applying to US companies and you're not in an exception category, leave the photo off the resume.

Europe: Usually Yes

Most European countries expect a photo on the CV. The convention varies by country.

Germany, Austria, Switzerland (DACH region): A professional "Bewerbungsfoto" is standard and expected. Not including one can count against you. This is deeply embedded in German hiring culture, despite anti-discrimination laws technically making it optional. See our German market analysis for the AI headshot landscape in DACH.

France: Photo on CV is common and generally expected, especially for client-facing roles.

Spain, Italy, Portugal: Photo expected on most CVs.

UK: Similar to the US. Photos generally discouraged, ATS-driven hiring.

Netherlands, Scandinavia: Photo optional, declining in prevalence. Larger companies trend toward no-photo CVs.

The trend: Europe is slowly moving toward US norms for large corporate employers, but smaller companies and traditional industries still expect photos.

Asia and Middle East

China, Japan, South Korea: Photo expected and virtually mandatory. Standard passport-style photo format.

India: Common but not universal. More expected in traditional industries.

Middle East: Generally expected, especially for client-facing roles.

Australia, New Zealand: Similar to UK. Generally discouraged.

When the Answer Is Yes: How to Do It Right

If you're in a market or industry where a resume photo is expected:

Technical Requirements

• Size: Typically 35x45mm for European CVs (passport photo size). For digital resumes, 300x400 pixels minimum.
• Format: JPEG, embedded in the document, not a separate attachment.
• Placement: Upper right corner of the first page is the European convention.
• Orientation: Portrait, head and shoulders only.

What the Photo Should Look Like

Everything in our headshot guides applies, with extra emphasis on:

Conservative styling. Resume photos should be more formal than LinkedIn photos. When in doubt, go traditional.

Recent. Within the last year. Recruiters will meet you in person and notice if you've changed.

Professional background. Solid gray or light blue. No outdoor backgrounds, no casual settings. Resume photos are more formal than general headshots.

Matching your industry. Suit for finance and law. Business casual for tech. White coat for medicine. The photo should match the dress code of the job you're applying for, not the job you have now.

For industry-specific guidance: corporate, legal, medical, tech.

What to Avoid

Selfies. Even good selfies have the wrong perspective for a resume photo.

Casual photos. No sunglasses, no drinks, no vacation backgrounds.

Over-retouched photos. The person in the photo should look like you. See our retouching guide for where to draw the line.

Old photos. Using a photo from five years ago is misleading. See how often to update your headshot.

LinkedIn Is Not Your Resume

Even if you leave the photo off your resume, you absolutely need a professional photo on LinkedIn. Recruiters who receive your resume will check your LinkedIn profile. That's where your headshot lives, regardless of resume conventions.

LinkedIn profiles with professional headshots get 14x more views. In a hiring context, that's the difference between being found and being invisible.

Everyone, even US-based applicants who leave photos off resumes, needs a professional headshot. The resume might not show it, but your digital presence requires it.

Getting a Resume-Ready Headshot

Budget Options

AI headshot generators: Narkis.ai produces professional headshots at $29 for 200 photos. Generate a formal headshot for your European CV, a LinkedIn headshot, and a casual option for creative platforms, all from one purchase.

DIY: Follow our at-home headshot guide. A smartphone, good lighting, and a clean background can produce acceptable results for a resume.

Professional Options

Photographer: $150-400 for a session. Highest quality, but most expensive.

University career services: Often free for students and recent alumni. See our graduation headshot guide.

For a detailed comparison, see AI headshots vs. professional photographer and best AI headshot apps.

Quick Decision Guide

Regardless of the resume: always have a professional headshot ready for LinkedIn and other professional platforms. The resume question is about convention. The LinkedIn question is about results.