The short answer for US applications
Leave the photo off. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says on its page about prohibited employment practices that employers should not ask an applicant for a photograph. If an employer needs one for identification, it can get it after the offer is made and accepted. The guidance addresses employers, so nobody stops you from attaching a picture. The trouble comes afterward.
A photo shows age and race before anyone has read a line of your experience. Robert Half, a large staffing firm, tells job seekers that photos are not standard in the US, the UK and Australia, and says it edits out any photo before forwarding a resume to a client. Indeed makes a similar point and suggests putting the effort into the resume and the LinkedIn profile instead.
What recruiters say when they talk among themselves
Public recruiting threads are blunter than career-site advice. One recruiter called photos on resumes uncomfortable in the education field. Another said a bad photo is worse than none, since the LinkedIn profile gets a look anyway. A third checks LinkedIn after a good resume, often to see a picture, but does not want it on the resume itself. Hardly anyone argues that the picture helps you get shortlisted; the disagreement is only about how much it hurts.
Headshot or no headshot: where each document stands
This summary of the sources below covers where a US applicant might wonder about a photo. It is not legal advice.
| Document or place | Headshot? | Why |
|---|
| Resume or cover letter for a US employer | No | EEOC guidance says employers should not ask for photographs, and recruiters remove them. |
| LinkedIn profile | Yes | LinkedIn reports that a profile with a photo is 14 times more likely to be viewed, and recruiters look you up there. |
| Portfolio or personal website | Yes, on the About page | You control the page, and clients and hiring managers like to see who made the work. |
| Optional photo field in a job portal | Your choice | It is not part of the resume, so a clear, plain portrait does no harm. Skip it if you feel unsure. |
| Acting, modeling or other on-camera casting | Yes, as a separate 8 by 10 headshot | Appearance is part of the job, and the resume goes on the back of the print. |
| Employer explicitly asks for a photo | Ask first | The EEOC advises against requesting one. Ask why, and send it only if the role is appearance-based. |
| Application to a country where photos are customary | Yes, follow local custom | Germany and Austria, plus many Asian countries, expect one. |
| After a job offer | Yes, if the employer asks | The EEOC says a photo for identification is acceptable after the offer is accepted. |
Where the headshot does its job
The place that matters most is LinkedIn. LinkedIn's own talent blog says that simply having a picture makes your profile 14 times more likely to be viewed. A recruiter who likes your resume often opens your profile next, so that portrait gets compared with the person on the video call.
LinkedIn recommends a profile picture between 400 by 400 and 7,680 by 4,320 pixels, with 8 MB as the largest file, and the photo should look like you today. Our headshot size and resolution guide and the LinkedIn photo page go through how the platform crops and shrinks it.
A personal website or portfolio is the second home. Designers and consultants often put a headshot on an About page next to a short bio. You own the page, so no screening step depends on it.
What to put at the top of the resume instead
Hiring managers still want to confirm who you are, and you can give them the means without a photo. A strong US resume header is short and readable by software:
- Your full name, set larger than the body text
- City and state, with no street address
- A phone number and a professional email address
- Your LinkedIn address, written as plain text such as linkedin.com/in/yourname
- A portfolio or personal site link, if the work is visual or written
The LinkedIn line is the useful part. It sends the reader to your headshot on a page where a photo is normal, and it keeps the resume itself clean. Some resume-builder sites also warn that images confuse screening software. We found no confirmation from the software vendors, so treat that as a minor reason.
The real exceptions
Acting and casting
The phrase "headshot and resume" has a precise meaning in entertainment. Backstage describes a headshot as a tightly cropped portrait, often a printed 8 by 10 inch photograph or a digital file, that actors send to casting directors and agents. The acting resume is trimmed to the same size and attached to the back of the print. According to Backstage, many 2026 Actors' Equity audition notices ask for both stapled together. That is two documents joined, not a photo placed on a resume page.
Countries where a photo is customary
If you apply abroad, local custom wins over US habit. A Cornell University blog post says photos on resumes are common in Germany and Austria, much of Europe and Asia, and parts of Africa and South America, while the UK and Ireland, like the US, leave them off. Our pages on the German CV photo and the UK CV photo cover two common cases. The Cornell post is a general overview, so check the employer's instructions too.
An employer that asks
Occasionally a small company asks for a photo. You can reasonably ask what it is for. If the role is on camera or in front of customers, you decide whether to send it. When the reason sounds vague, reply politely with your LinkedIn link.
If you need a LinkedIn or portfolio headshot
Profilfoto KI turns your own selfies into a photorealistic portrait in a style you pick, such as Business Studio or LinkedIn Modern,. Your first photo is free and carries a watermark, so you can check the likeness before buying. After that you pay once, with no subscription. Packages run from 2 photos at €4.99 to 40 photos at €79, with 12 photos at €29 in between. Uploaded selfies are stored in Frankfurt and deleted after 90 days at the latest. The result is a profile picture, not an official passport photo, and it is not meant for a resume page.
Questions people ask
Should I put a headshot on my resume in the US?
No, not for a normal job application. The EEOC advises that employers should not ask for photographs before an offer, and staffing firms remove them. Put the headshot on your LinkedIn profile instead.
Is it illegal to put a photo on a resume in the US?
No. Nothing prohibits you from attaching one. The guidance is aimed at employers, and the risk is practical: the photo can introduce bias, so employers and recruiters often discard or edit it out.
What does headshot and resume mean for actors?
It is a pair of documents. An actor sends or brings a headshot, usually an 8 by 10 inch print, with the acting resume trimmed to the same size and attached to the back.
Should I add a picture if the application form has a photo field?
If the field is optional, the choice is yours. A plain, well-lit portrait does no harm in a profile field. If you are unsure, leave it empty.
Can the headshot on LinkedIn be AI-generated?
It can, as long as it still looks like you. LinkedIn advises picking a photo that gives people a clear idea of what you would look like if they met you tomorrow.
Sources
All pages retrieved on 24 October 2026.
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