How professional headshots shape your next career move

So let's say you’ve landed an interview for a position you can see yourself growing in, your portfolio is super tight, and your LinkedIn profile reflects all of your hard wok.

Before anyone reads your bio or your experience, your headshot is the first thing people see. Professional headshots aren’t just some afterthought - it's painting the picture (no pun intended) of who you are and how you present yourself to whomever's on the side of the screen.

So, why do professional headshot still matter?

"Does anyone really care about headshots?"

Have you ever clicked on someone's LInkedIn profile and noticed a grainy, blurry or worse, a complete absent photo. What was your first thought?

Now compare that to a profile with a solid headshot photo. Suddenly, that person looks the part. No, we're not saying it's a guaranteed offer or request for an interview, but it’s an edge you shouldn't really ignore.

Bad vs. Good Headshots: What Actually Moves the Needle?

Let’s clear up a common misconception: professional headshots aren’t about looking glamorous. They’re about communicating clarity, confidence, and approachability. Here’s a concrete comparison that illustrates what I mean

I’ve seen portfolios where the work is strong, but the headshot is so mismatched or outdated it undermines the whole package. The best headshots blend authenticity and professionalism, projecting the version of yourself you’d want a new boss or client to remember.

A practical framework for getting your headshots to work across platform

Here’s the framework I give to professionals who want to get this right, whether you’re on a budget or investing in top-tier visuals. If you’re updating across different platforms, the efficiency of AI headshots from Bettershot becomes pretty easy to create uniformity, and there's. no real need to wrangle a photographer for every new site or portfolio update.

DIY, Studio, or AI? The real trade-offs no one talks about

This is where most people make the wrong call. The old advice was "just hire a local photographer". This totally works if you have time, money, and zero camera anxiety. But most of us don't have either of these things readily available to us.

If you need something fast, affordable, and good enough to impress across multiple channels, it's strongly recommended picking a method that matches your comfort level and budget.

Don’t default to DIY unless you know what you’re doing. Don’t assume a studio is always better. And don’t underestimate the subtle professionalism AI-powered headshots can deliver, especially when you need to scale across a team or update multiple profiles in a pinch.

The key takeaway: make your headshot work for you

Give a tool like Bettershot. It'll give you a ton of options for styles and poses that'll make you stand out for a heck of lot less money than a photographer or the anxiety of doing it yourself.