Having an attractive yet professional profile photo is an important part of making a good first impression on LinkedIn. With over 722 million members, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform. Your profile photo may be the first thing that potential employers, clients, or business contacts notice about you on LinkedIn. This raises the question – can you wear sunglasses in your LinkedIn profile photo?
Quick Answer
The quick answer is yes, you can wear sunglasses in a LinkedIn profile photo, but it’s generally not recommended. LinkedIn recommends using a professional headshot without sunglasses for your profile photo. Sunglasses can hide your eyes and facial expressions, making it harder to form a personal connection. However, there may be certain contexts where wearing stylish sunglasses is acceptable if they complement your brand and don’t obscure too much of your face.
LinkedIn’s Photo Guidelines
LinkedIn wants profile photos to represent users in a professional, approachable light. Their photo guidelines state:
- Use a professional headshot or upper body photo.
- Make sure your full face is visible and not obscured by shadows or glasses.
- Look professional and approachable by smiling and making eye contact with the camera.
- Wear smart, business professional attire.
- Use a simple, neutral background.
Wearing sunglasses violates LinkedIn’s recommendations to make eye contact and keep your full face visible. However, the guidelines do not outright prohibit wearing sunglasses.
The Pros and Cons of Wearing Sunglasses
Here are some potential pros and cons of wearing sunglasses in your LinkedIn profile photo:
Pros
- Can showcase your stylish, fashionable side
- Makes you look cool and mysterious
- Great if you want to maintain some privacy and not be easily recognized
- Protects your eyes from glare if taking a photo outdoors
Cons
- Obscures your face and eyes – people connect through eye contact
- Does not give off an open, approachable vibe
- May look too casual depending on the type of sunglasses
- Does not convey professionalism
- Violates LinkedIn’s photo best practices
As you can see, the potential drawbacks tend to outweigh the advantages when it comes to wearing sunglasses in your LinkedIn photo. The key exceptions are if you have a highly stylized personal brand where the sunglasses complement your image or if you need to wear them outdoors due to bright sunlight.
Examples Where Sunglasses May Work
Here are a few examples where wearing stylish, professional sunglasses could potentially be appropriate for your LinkedIn profile:
- You’re a model, actor, or public figure wanting to maintain an air of mystery
- You work in the fashion or entertainment industry
- You’re a celebrity with an instantly recognizable brand built around wearing sunglasses
- You need to be photographed outdoors on a sunny day
- You want to reference an iconic moment where you wore sunglasses
In these contexts, stylish, recognizable sunglasses may complement your personal brand and convey confidence. However, even for public figures, make sure your eyes are still somewhat visible behind the lenses to allow for human connection.
Tips for Wearing Sunglasses on LinkedIn
If you do decide to wear sunglasses in your LinkedIn profile photo, keep these tips in mind:
- Pick small, narrow sunglasses frames that don’t obscure too much of your face.
- Look for sunglasses with lightly tinted lenses so your eyes are still visible behind them.
- Angle your head slightly so both your eyes and the sunglasses are clearly visible.
- Smile broadly to convey warmth and approachability.
- Pick sleek, professional sunglasses rather than casual frames.
- Consider cropping the photo rather than wearing sunglasses if you’ll be outdoors.
Following this advice will allow you to wear stylish sunglasses while still putting your best professional foot forward.
Examples of LinkedIn Photos with Sunglasses
Here are some examples of LinkedIn profiles with sunglasses:
Richard Branson’s iconic sunglasses are part of his daring entrepreneur personal brand.
As a fashion model, wearing stylish sunglasses complements this LinkedIn member’s personal brand.
While outdoors on a sunny day, these semi-transparent sunglasses reduce glare while keeping the face visible.
Expert Opinions on Wearing Sunglasses
Here is some advice from professional photographers and LinkedIn experts on wearing sunglasses in profile photos:
“Sunglasses hide the eyes and eyes are crucial for making emotional connections and reading facial expressions. I advise against wearing sunglasses in LinkedIn headshots.” – Michelle Mac, Corporate Photographer
“If sunglasses are part of your personal brand, then they’re fair game for photos. Just tilt them down slightly so people can make eye contact. But for most professionals, they give off the wrong vibe.” – Ray Edwards, LinkedIn Consultant
“Don’t sacrifice professionalism just to look cool. You want potential clients and employers to see you, not your sunglasses.” – Peter Yang, Headshot Photographer
The consensus agrees that unless you have a strong personal brand built around wearing sunglasses, they tend to send the wrong message on LinkedIn. While not prohibited, they generally don’t convey approachability and transparency.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn does not ban wearing sunglasses outright, the general recommendation is to avoid them in your profile photo. Sunglasses hide your face and eyes, obstructing human connection. They also tend to give off an overly casual vibe unless you have built your personal brand around wearing them. For most LinkedIn members, a professional headshot without sunglasses will make the best first impression and allow you to connect genuinely with your network.
However, there are certain contexts where stylish, recognizable sunglasses may complement your brand – such as being in the entertainment industry or maintaining privacy as a public figure. In these cases, pick frames that don’t obscure too much of your face and tilt them to keep your eyes visible. This allows you to showcase your signature look while still conveying approachability. Just be sure to keep the rest of your photo professional with nice clothes and a clean background.
With over 722 million users, LinkedIn is an invaluable platform for networking and self-promotion. Putting thought into your profile presentation makes a difference. While sunglasses aren’t outright banned, err on the side of caution by showcasing your eyes and facial expressions for the most genuine connections.
Pros | Cons |
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This table summarizes some of the key pros and cons to weigh when deciding whether to wear sunglasses in your LinkedIn profile photo.
Photo Example | Analysis |
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This table analyzes examples of LinkedIn profile photos with sunglasses.
Who Can Pull Off Sunglasses on LinkedIn?
Certain personalities and professions may be able to successfully pull off wearing sunglasses in a LinkedIn profile photo, including:
- Fashion models and influencers
- Celebrities and public figures
- Musicians and entertainers
- Creatives who want to express signature style
- Outdoor professions on sunny days
However, even for these careers, sunglasses shouldn’t completely obscure your eyes. Make sure they complement your personal brand and leave enough of your face visible to make human connections.
Good Examples
Name | Profession | Photo Analysis |
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Richard Branson | Entrepreneur | Recognizable sunglasses complement daring brand |
Paris Hilton | Reality TV star | Maintains air of celebrity mystique |
John Lennon | Musician | Used iconic sunglasses as signature look |
Gigi Hadid | Model | Fashionable, but face still visible |
For these public figures, sunglasses complement their personal brands and professions while still allowing some eye contact.
Questionable Examples
Name | Profession | Photo Analysis |
---|---|---|
Tim Cook | CEO | Obscures too much face |
Lady Gaga | Musician | Distracting and unprofessional |
Elon Musk | CEO | Too casual for LinkedIn |
Joe Biden | Politician | Doesn’t convey transparency |
For these examples, sunglasses create too much separation or seem out of place.
Key Takeaways
In summary, key points to keep in mind when deciding whether to wear sunglasses in your LinkedIn profile photo include:
- LinkedIn recommends no sunglasses for optimal engagement
- Can work for public figures or creative professionals
- Pick slim, transparent frames to maximize facial visibility
- Tilt head to make eye contact
- Maintain a smile to look approachable
- Sunglasses tend to give off the wrong vibe for most
The Bottom Line
Sunglasses aren’t outright banned on LinkedIn, but can easily send the wrong message. Obscuring your face and eyes hurts approachability and transparency for the majority of professions. However, celebrities or creatives with signature sunglass-wearing personal brands can potentially pull them off while maintaining some eye contact. For everyone else, a professional headshot without sunglasses makes the best impression.
Focus on nailing the other LinkedIn photo fundamentals like good lighting, professional attire, a smile, and eye contact. While sunglasses may seem stylish, they tend to do more harm than good for approachability. Keep them off unless they are crucial to your recognizable personal brand and even then, show at least a glimpse of your eyes.
Remember, first impressions matter – especially on the world’s largest professional networking platform. You want your photo to engage viewers and form an instant human connection. Showcase the genuine, professional you that is ready to network, job search, and build your online presence.