Get a Headshot That Gets You Hired: 5 Pro Tips

Find Your Light Before You Sit Down

Most people walk into a studio, sit where they're told, and hope for the best. That's a mistake. Light is everything. It sculpts your face, hides tiredness, and makes you look awake. You need to find it before the camera comes out.

Here’s a concrete test. Go to a window on a cloudy day—that soft, even light is perfect. Face it directly and look in a mirror. See how there are no harsh shadows under your eyes or nose? That’s the look. Now turn your face 45 degrees away from the window. Watch how one side brightens and the other falls into a soft shadow, adding shape. That’s called “short lighting,” and it’s incredibly flattering. Do this for two minutes before your session. Tell your photographer, “I liked how I looked in this window light.” It gives them a perfect starting point.

Pick One Focal Point: Your Eyes

Your eyes are the only part of a headshot that can actually connect with someone. If they’re soft or dull, the whole photo fails. I see clients spend hours on their hair and outfit, then stare at the photographer’s forehead during the shoot. The result is a vacant, disconnected gaze.

Think of a specific person you feel warm toward—your best friend, a favorite cousin. Now imagine you’ve just told them a funny secret and you’re sharing the quiet smile that comes after. That spark, that specific thought, changes your eyes instantly. Your photographer isn’t looking for your teeth or your chin in that moment. They are focusing literally and figuratively on your eyes. A pro tip: if you wear glasses, get a lens cleaning kit. The number one technical flaw I fix is a dusty, smudged lens hiding the eyes.

Choose a Shirt That Works for You, Not Against You

Forget “wear something you feel comfortable in.” That’s how you show up in a faded band t-shirt. Your clothing has two jobs: frame your face and not distract. A loud pattern or a neon color will do all the talking.

Bring three solid-colored tops. One should be a few shades darker than your skin tone—a navy, charcoal, or deep burgundy. This creates a subtle, natural vignette that draws the viewer right to your face. Avoid pure white; it can blow out and create a bright halo that fights with your skin. For fabric, a medium-weight cotton or a fine-gauge knit lies flat. A stiff, shiny satin or a super-thin jersey will create wrinkles and weird highlights. The collar is critical. A button-down with the top button undone often creates a distracting “V” that points to your chest. A simple crewneck or a shallow V-neck is usually safer.

The 80/20 Rule for Your Expression

You’re not selling toothpaste. A giant, toothy grin in every shot looks forced and generic. Think 80% relaxed, approachable confidence, and 20% smile. The relaxed part is your baseline—a slight upturn at the corners of your mouth, eyes engaged, jaw loose.

Here’s the exercise. Say the word “hey” out loud. Not “hello,” but “hey,” like you’re gently getting a friend’s attention. Feel how your face settles? That’s your 80%. Hold that. Now, think of something that genuinely amuses you—the absurdity of the situation, a silly memory. Let that thought flicker for a second. That’s your 20% smile. It reaches your eyes. Capture that. I’ll often have a client do this: I’ll say, “Give me your serious, competent face.” They do. Then I say, “Now, just let 10% of that go.” The shift is immediate and perfect. Their shoulders drop, their eyes soften, and they look capable and likeable.

Crop for Connection, Not for a Mugshot

The standard LinkedIn crop is a disaster. It’s too tight, showing just head and shoulders, floating in space. It feels like a police lineup. You want to create a sense of a person, not just a passport photo.

A better crop includes a bit of your upper body—down to the mid-chest or even lower. This gives you context and space to breathe. It tells a tiny story. Are you leaning slightly forward, engaged? Are your shoulders relaxed? This matters. For platforms, you need two versions: one vertical for LinkedIn (cropped as described) and a horizontal one for company website bios. The horizontal crop is powerful; it allows for negative space on one side where text can live, or it simply makes you look more established. Always leave a little room above your head. Cutting off the top of your hair makes the frame feel claustrophobic and tense.

The goal isn't a perfect picture of your face. It's a clear signal of who you are at your best—competent, trustworthy, and ready to work. A great headshot does the talking before you even get the interview. Start with the window light tomorrow morning. See what it does for you. That’s the first, and most important, step.