Ask The Career Coach: Your Job Search Questions Answered (Bonus September 2019 Edition)

Do I need to go to a professional photographer to get a headshot for LinkedIn?

The first three items that people see on LinkedIn when looking at a profile is your name, your headline, and your profile picture. Your profile picture is part of your personal brand - how you want others to see you. Through your profile picture, you control the impression that you want people to have of you. It can be helpful to have a professional photographer take a headshot of you because they can ensure the lighting and background are correct, but it is by no means a requirement. You can take a very good profile picture with a cell phone camera. Here are some things to keep in mind so that your profile picture adds and not detract from your personal brand:

• Head and shoulder shots work best. Full body shots mean that people cannot see your face well, and that is what people are interested in seeing the most.

• The clothes you wear should represent your personal brand. This does not mean that it has to be formal, but it should be consistent with your brand. What you wear should look clean and well-cared for.

• Do not wear hats or sunglasses. It can be distracting. All distracting can be bold prints.

• The photo needs to be crisp and clear. No blurry photos.

• No group shots or cropping people out of a group shot. You and you alone should be in the picture.

• Do not have distractions in the background of your profile picture. It is best to have a neutral background so that the focus will be on you.

• Soft, natural light is best for a profile picture. Harsh light can make you look washed out.

• LinkedIn will allow you to crop your photo, add filters, and do some color adjustments to your photo. Play around with these features to see if any might enhance your photo.

• Smiling is important. People will connect with you more if they see a smile in your picture.

• At least have a friend take the picture, so you can concentrate on your pose and facial expressions.

To help you get feedback on your profile picture, you can use a program like Photofeeler. You can upload your photo and get unbiased feedback to determine if it presents you in the way you desire. 

Is it true that employers no longer can ask me about my previous salary?

Well, it depends where you live and the type of employer. Many states and localities have passed laws that prohibit employers from asking job applicants about the compensation received from previous jobs. This is part of an effort to address pay discrimination. Knowing this information can perpetuate pay disparity between women and men and minorities and white employees. As an example, if a woman entered the workforce in a job where she was offered less than a male counterpart with the same education and credentials, relying on previous compensation to set compensation levels can perpetuate inequality in pay. Currently, many states and localities have bans on employers asking about salary history. Some places have gone even further, such as California, which also states that employers must provide the pay scale for the position upon “reasonable request.” These laws, though,  do not prohibit potential employers from asking what your salary requirements are for taking a position with them, so be prepared to answer that common question.

States

Alabama (employers may not refuse to hire an applicant because the applicant will not provide salary history)

California 

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Hawaii

Illinois (state agencies only)

Maine

Massachusetts

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina (state agencies only)

Oregon

Pennsylvania (state agencies only)

Puerto Rico

Vermont

Washington

Localities 

Albany County, NY

Atlanta (city agencies only)

Chicago (city departments only)

Cincinnati (employers with 15+ employees)

Columbia, SC (city government only)

Jackson, MS (city government only)

Kansas City, MO (the city only)

Louisville, KY (Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government only)

Montgomery County, MD (county government only)

New Orleans (city departments only)

New York City

Philadelphia (effective date TBD)

Pittsburgh (city government only)

Richland County, SC (county government only)

San Francisco

Salt Lake City (city government only)

Suffolk County, NY

Toledo, OH (employers with 15+ employees)

Westchester County, NY

States that ban local governments from enacting legislation banning pay history questions

Michigan

Wisconsin 

Is it appropriate to add volunteer work to a resume?

There is no hard and fast rule that you should or should not do this. It will depend on several factors including the type of work that you want to do, your role in the volunteer organization, the type of volunteer organization, and whether you need this information to mitigate gaps in your resume.

Type of work you do

Space on your resume is precious. Therefore you only want to add information that will enhance your employability. If you are new to the work world (such as a recent college graduate) or you are looking for work with not-for-profits or in social service, having volunteer work on your resume may be helpful. For recent college graduates, you can showcase your community involvement, since your work history may be limited. For those looking for work in the social services or not-for-profit world, volunteer work may help to support cultural fit within those organizations.

Your role in the volunteer organization

If you have a leadership role, it may be advantageous to put it on your resume. Certainly, President, Secretary or Treasurer or other leadership roles can demonstrate skills and accomplishments that might not be as obvious in your regular work history and may be valued by potential employers.

The type of volunteer organization

If you belong to a volunteer organization that is associated with your industry, you may want to feature it on your resume. It shows your commitment to improving your knowledge and giving back to others in your field. Work with local community organizations can be a positive if you are in a field such as public relations or sales, where your community contacts may be advantageous. On the flip side, you may want to omit your volunteer work for political causes or religious groups, as this provides information about you to the hiring team that might be best not to share. In the very partisan political environment we are currently experiencing both in the US and abroad, you do not know the political persuasion of the hiring manager and whether the person may take offense to your activities. In most states, political activity is not protected from discrimination. As for religious organizations you support through volunteering, in some cases, that may be a plus if you want to work for a religious-affiliated organization, such as a church. Otherwise, to be safe, I would advise omitting this from your resume.

Mitigating gaps

Many people who are currently unemployed or have been unemployed in the past worry about the gaps in their resume. In an effort to paper it over and to show that you are or have remained engaged during that time, you may want to add various volunteer activities that you participated in. If you do this, make sure that you focus on what you accomplished and less on what your volunteer duties were. Focus on the skills and experience that you developed with your participation in these activities.