Does your LinkedIn profile picture show your personality and correspond to a job you are doing or looking for?

​​Recently somebody asked me if a profile picture should be a part of resume. I couldn’t find the right answer! Looking for a job is not easy. Resume makes the first impression and first step to the interview.
 
At first, I said no. You want to find a job based on your skills, knowledge and experience and not because of your look! Then I thought about it again. You are who you are. The profile picture is not just about your look but it shows your personality.
 
You want to know who you are talking to. When employers read your resume they can make a better connection with a person who they can actually see, even on the picture. The same applies to LinkedIn because employers use it as an online resume to find suitable candidates.
 
LinkedIn is a network of professionals, people who are looking for a job or people who just want to stay in touch. Having a profile picture to connect with other professionals in there is essential.
 
There are many articles that say how your profile picture should look like. In my opinion there are not specific rules. Your picture should look professional, show your character and personality and correspond to a job that you’re doing or looking for. I am not against pictures of people surfing on the beach if they are looking for an instructor job. If you want to distinguish yourself from others so then why not!
 
However I am a perfectionist so there are some basics that a profile picture should have. The image should be sharp and clearly visible, properly cropped and show your face. There should not be more people on the picture
 
I found out that a half of my LinkedIn connections don’t have an appropriate profile picture or don’t have any picture at all! It makes me wonder why…