Picture or No Picture on your resume?

Recently I had a conversation with someone who advises people to ommit putting a profile picture on their resume as a means to avoid premature discrimination.

My first reaction came before I heard their reasoning and I felt myself disagreeing quite strongly with this. I really thought that was very bad advise to give.

Then I heard their arguments and I could see where they were coming from. I understood how experience coupled with scientific confirmation could put such ideas in to people's minds. It was clear that there was no intent or desire to deceive or manipulate. Only a strong will to claim the right to fair and equal treatment. Which I would hope no one will argue against.

So I left that conversation with a lot to think about.

I felt grateful to have met this person as I always do whenever I meet someone who introduces me to new perspectives, insights and things to consider. It inevitably leads to an enrichment of my opinion on the matter and allows me to view the situation with enhanced understanding and a broader lense.

That does not mean that I will just blindly accept whatever is said or that I will simply discard my previous opinion out of hand.

After thinking about this for a while, I still think it's better to put a professional* picture on your resume and here is why.

* with professional I mean a decent profile picture that shows you as you would show up for work. Not hire a professional photographer. Just remember that this is not the place for your family and/or holiday pictures.

Who do you want to work for?

This is a question you should ask yourself as part of your preparation work.

As much as asking yourself what kind of job you want to do it is equally (if not more) important to think about what kind of employer you want to give your time, your skills and your talent to.

In what kind of environment do you want to spend 71% of your time?

Do you really want to spend your time in a place where you had to hide yourself to get in to?

The argument is that "once you get to stand in front of them and you can convince them based on your skills and talents, the bias will go away."

I'm not convinced of that.

You may get hired, but I don't think the bias simply goes away with that. If that bias is there to begin with, it's not going to be eliminated that easily. So then you are hired without knowing if that bias exists or not. You also set the stage to question and doubt every upcoming situation at work as tainted by this (possibly non-existing) bias.

That alone already creates a breeding ground for a lot of stress.

Even, and perhaps especially, when the bias does not exist in the first place. By assuming it does at the point of applying for the job you are already priming yourself to have this perception of your new job environment. Even before you start working there.

I would argue that you would be better off knowing who you're working for from the beginning. So you don't accidentally prime yourself into accusing your new employer needlessly and creating the very divide between you that you don't want in the first place.

So my advise would be to go for clarity.

If not you, then who?

In addition to not putting your picture on your resume it was also advised to even use a fake name on the application.

For the same (scientifically proven!) reason.

It is an established fact that people with non-local sounding names are less likely to be invited to either the assessment procedure or the interview. Especially people with names that suggest originating from locations with significant cultural and/or religious deviation from the local ones.

So it is very understandable why this would be an option that is being considered.

What would this establish?

Even if you get the job.

What does it say that you need to not only hide your face but also your name in order to get in to a place where you hope to be able to expect respect and fair treatment and consideration?

Again we come to the "let's first get invited and then we'll convince them" argument.

And again, I say this is a simplistic, almost desperate, way to look at it. Yes, in the short turn it may bring you what you want, the job.

But at what cost?

Let's consider what you are trying to achieve for a moment.

You want to be hired for your potential, your skills, your talent and in some cases your experience.

You want your colleagues, your leaders, your clients, your associates, your professional contacts to take you serious. See you as a professional in your domain. Pay attention to your contributions, suggestions, ideas, opinions and input.

You even want to be considered for potential promotional advancement based on your skills, talent and achievements.

And yet, you start out by erasing yourself. The first thing you show your future professional contacts is how they can treat you.

You show them that it's ok to dismiss you. To not see you. You communicate that they only need to pay attention to you if you go above and beyond being you.

I'm sorry, but I'm not ok with the possible implications and fall-out of this practice.

Yes, you may land the job and the salary. But I really, genuinely believe that you'll pay a much higher price in a currency that will not so easily be replaced.

I believe that if you want to be seen as a professional asset to your future employer, you need to show yourself.

Put your picture on your resume

Look at it as culling the weed.

If they dismiss you based on such superficial biases perhaps they are not ready for your level of excellence yet.

There are other ways to get around this. I'm thinking off the top of my head networking events like open houses, fairs that the company you would like to work at have a stand, Linked-In, activities you could join that might get you noticed, etc...

But do not erase yourself.

Show yourself. For you are worth being seen.