Look like yourself on your best workday

Facial hair changes the visible shape of the jaw. That makes it one of the first places to inspect in an AI portrait. Look for a beard line that suddenly becomes too sharp, changes density from one side to the other or merges into the collar. Check the moustache around the lip as well.

You do not need to shave for a professional photo if you normally wear a beard. A clean shave and a short beard of about 3 to 5 millimetres with a clear contour can both look professional. An accidental in-between look is harder to read because it can appear as though the photo was taken without preparation.

Hair deserves the same test. The style can be neater than on an ordinary day, but the hairline, the colour and the amount of hair should still belong to you. A flattering result that creates a different person will fail as soon as somebody meets you.

An outdated photo fails in the same way. If your current picture is more than two years old, it probably no longer matches the face people meet.

A suit is not automatically the most professional answer. Clothing works as context. In banking and law a tie still reads as the expected code, as it does in insurance and in executive roles. It can feel overdressed for a product team, a creative studio or a company where senior colleagues appear with an open collar.

If you are unsure, look at how people one level above the role present themselves on the company site. Match that degree of formality. Do not copy a specific person; use the pattern to decide between tie, open collar, knitwear or a simple jacket.

Turn the torso about 15 to 20 degrees and keep the face toward the lens. This creates depth without weakening eye contact. Relaxed shoulders matter more than a dramatic angle. If the frame only shows head and shoulders, leave the hands out rather than bringing one to the chin.

Crossed arms can work in a wider team portrait, but they often create a visible barrier in a tight profile picture. The safer choice is an open upper body with the chin level and the eyes directed into the lens.

An AI generator may create the final pose as part of the selected style. Your source selfie still needs a clear face and a natural expression. Held at arm’s length, a phone makes the nose look larger and the ears smaller. A timer with the phone about 2 metres away avoids that distortion. See the complete headshot pose guide before choosing the source image.

Compare several results against a recent phone photo. Ask whether the jaw, the nose, the ears and the spacing around the eyes still match. Then check whether the expression feels like one you make in real life. The result should look like a well photographed version of you, not a more conventionally attractive stranger.

The same standard applies to skin. Texture is normal. Removing every line and pore makes a portrait less credible, especially when the rest of your public profile contains ordinary photographs. The headshot examples show what to inspect in good and bad results.