Should You Include a Photo On Your Resume in 2025

​​You've been working tirelessly on your resume. Perfecting every aspect of your resume to make it stand out and sell you as the ideal candidate. You've seen all sorts of resume templates online that include a photo and you start to wonder, "Should I include a resume photo?" You think it'll add that nice pop of color to the page to make it more attractive to hiring managers or maybe you're looking to make your resume look more full. Either way, your LinkedIn profile has a photo of you, so why not include it on your resume? Before you make your decision about whether or not to include a picture on your resume, you're going to want to read this guide detailing the pros and cons of including a photo on your resume and helping you base your decision depending on what country you're in.

Pros of a resume picture

1. Helps personalize your resume

Your resume is personal to you. When you add a photo to your professional resume it helps personalize your resume. Every aspect of your resume is personalized to you. You share experiences that showcase the big things you've accomplished. You share the projects you've worked on. You highlight the education you've received. Typically, the written content is what personalizes your resume. And of course, the written content is still the most important part. However, the visual elements can also be personalized to reflect who you are. Since the visual design of a resume needs to be professional, the resume photo adds a pop of color that shows you off.

2. Helps craft a first impression

Beaming smile in a professional sweater? You must be a delight to work with. A suit and tie? You must be a professional employee who takes business seriously. Messy hair and a stain on the collar? You must be an unorganized mess. A resume photo can help craft that first impression of you. And if you work hard to take and choose a photo that accurately reflects you, you'll likely have a favorable impression. Are you looking into the camera? Are you smiling? Are your clothes clean and appropriate? Avoid posting a party picture of yourself on your resume. Or a grainy selfie. If you're going to add a photo, hire a professional photographer to take a headshot of you. A good resume doesn't need a photo. But if you make a resume and include a photo you need to craft the photo as carefully as the content. Remember, don't include a passport photo as no one smiles in those and you're supposed to make a positive first impression with your photo, not a bad one.

3. Helps someone recognize you

A resume photo allows someone to recognize you when you go to the interview. If they form a favorable enough impression of you to want to interview you, when you show up to the interview, you need to keep the interview light and positive. So, they maintain a positive impression of you. People tend to like people they see more often. The more you cross paths with someone, the easier it will be to get them to like you. If you have a photo of yourself on your resume, it can help get someone to start liking you. The best career advice is to smile in your photo and smile a lot in your interview so the hiring manager can build a positive relationship with you. If you wear a similar type of clothing to your interview as you have in your photo, as long as it's professional, it can make the recognition even easier. They might even ask you if they've met you before.

4. Helps your resume stand out

In a sea of black and white resumes, a resume with a photo and a bit of color is going to stand out. Keep in mind that it's supposed to be your accomplishments that make you stand out. However, a pop of color can also draw attention to your resume. If your resume uses a professional template with an easy-to-read design, you'll be able to make it stand out. A photo on a resume will draw the hiring manager's eyes to it. And they'll scan your resume diagonally from that top corner to the bottom corner. You'll want to include a lot of metrics in that view so that the hiring manager actually sees how great of a candidate you are. While the most common resume formats are usually plain-text, adding some color doesn't need to be a bad thing.

5. Might be standard to include in your country

While it isn't a standard practice to use a photo in your resume in the United States, it may be a common practice to include in your country. Countries where including a photo is acceptable include France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, and more. In many countries, including a photo is optional and not necessary, such as Finland, Italy, Greece, and more. However, in North America, it's generally discouraged to use a resume photo. If it's acceptable to standard to include a photo on your resume, look at your resume carefully to ensure your photo is appropriate, professional, and creates a positive impression.

6. Helps humanize your application

When you add a photo to your resume, you help humanize your application. Most recruiters will easily reject a black-and-white resume forgetting that they're shattering someone's dreams of working at that company and in that role. When you add a photo to your resume, they see that there's a person behind the photo. It'll likely make a hiring manager take a split second to actually read the resume carefully before flat out rejecting them. Keep in mind that in the United States, since there's bias involved in including a photo, having a photo could lead to instant rejection. However, many employers will often stop to look at a resume when there's a photo to decide if the candidate is a good fit.

Cons of a resume photo

1. Can lead to bias and discrimination

There are anti-discrimination laws in the United States which discourages the use of resume photos. You never know how someone might discriminate against a photo. Maybe you look similar to their ex, and they reject you as a candidate because you remind them of someone they don't like. You could be the polar opposite version from that person they've made you out to be in their heads. You should be measured against each qualification you present during the hiring process. How you look shouldn't even be considered in the process. If you look unprofessional in your photo, you'll be judged harshly by a recruiter. And maybe you can't afford to take a headshot, but are hard working and efficient in hitting company goals. Does that mean you should be ruled out? No, of course not. If you want to create a favorable impression, don't include a photo. Allow yourself to be judged based on whether or not you can do a job instead of how you look.

2. Can be seen as unprofessional

Having a professional photo can be seen as unprofessional to some hiring managers. Some might be wondering if you're trying to get the job based on your looks. Others might be wondering why you would include a photo for a job where your image doesn't matter. Your job application isn't a beauty contest. It's a measure of your skills and qualifications as a candidate. Most resume examples don't have photos on them because people really do read your resume to see if you're a good fit for a job. To create a professional resume, you need to focus on what you can do for a job, and your looks don't play a role in that. Even if you're dressed in business casual in your photo, your attire won't be enough to land you a job. At the end of the day, the focus of your resume is on your resume accomplishments and skills, and that's what your resume should focus on. Photos may serve as a distraction.

3. Might lead to a large file size

A plain-text resume will often have a standard file size. However, when you start adding graphics and images to your PDF, it increases the file size drastically. This may result in you needing to make alterations to your file so it can land in your hiring manager's inbox. On sites like LinkedIn, the file size can't be more than 2MB. However, for most companies, you'll likely encounter a file size maximum of 500kb. If you apply directly to a company's website their file sizes are usually not as high as the average billion dollar company with unlimited bandwidth. If you're applying to a job at a startup or a mid-sized company, you'll want to be mindful of file sizes and sticking with a black-and-white resume that doesn't include photos on resumes and yet still look professional are your best bet, especially when you're in a time crunch.

4. Can discredit your accomplishments

If you're not sure how someone might perceive you if you submit your resume with a photo, you might want to avoid having a photo in the first place. When you add a photo to your resume, people will judge you based on the photo. If your accomplishments highlight all sorts of amazing things but your photo is a selfie, you might get overlooked for your professionalism. Keep your resume on your accomplishments. Instead of overthinking the design, put all that mental work into the bullet points you add. Carefully think through or use an AI like Huntr to help you craft resume bullet points to ensure that the key takeaways from your resume are all about what you can do.

5. ATS can't read photos

Applicant tracking systems can't read photos. You can send PDFs through the system. And have a professional resume template to boot. However, the ATS is reading the content of your resume rather than the photos. So, you're basically just taking up space on your resume that can be used to add more content about what your skills actually are. Having an up-to-date resume with the latest technological skills and tools can allow you to land a role. Having a photo that takes up a good chunk of space can limit how much content you put on your resume. You wanna know why black-and-white resumes often work best? It's because it includes as much relevant content as possible that hiring managers actually want to see. Your picture doesn't help you land a job. Whether or not you can do the job better than any other candidate they meet is what'll get you a job. And if you want to pass those filters, your ATS resume needs to include more skills, so you shouldn't include a photo.

Should I include a resume photo if I live in the United States?

No, you shouldn't include a resume photo if you live in the United States.

Should I include a resume photo if I live in Canada?

No, you shouldn't include resumes with photos if you live in Canada.

Should I include a resume picture if I live in the United Kingdom?

No. In the United Kingdom photos are forbidden on resumes.

Should I include a resume picture if I live in the EU?

In some countries in the EU, resumes require a picture. And in some countries in the EU, it's optional as to whether or not you can include headshots. You should look at your country's laws before designing your resume.

Should I include a resume picture if I live in Australia or New Zealand?

In Australia and New Zealand you should not include a photo on a professional CV.

Conclusion

Having a resume with photos can introduce unconscious bias. And in some cases, there are strict anti-discrimination laws that discourage photos on resumes. While some countries require photos on these documents, the impression on the recruiter could be to your disadvantage, especially if you're using a selfie instead of a professional photo. At the end of the day, it's your skills and experience that will determine whether or not you get hired. If you're still unsure whether you should add a photo, consider looking up your employment laws regarding the topic. If you're looking to build a resume without photos, sign up for Huntr.