Best Face forward
Why appearances matters on online busness networking websites. By Emma Hill
The number of members registered at business networking site Linkedin has recetly reached 70m and, according to Kevin Eyres, managing director of Linkeding Europe, more than 50 per cent of Fortune 100nd 25 per cent of FTSE 100 companies pay to use the site's corporate recruiting solutions.
Those whoo peruse the website are not only seeking professional details and resumes but, unlike many a conventional CV, will also stumble across a member's photograph. Online image matters in the business world, every bit as much as it does on social site Facebook.
Yes, a new reality.
Beth Zurn, senior vice -president of global education and special events, says that at an internal brainstorming session at the company's headquaters, "everyone agreed they liked being on sites such as Facebook, but the number one concern was finding the right profile photo.
Instead of posting a snapshot from last year's holiday, we all wanted a photo that made us look our best."
___________________________________________________________________
' In a profile picture things
like trustworthiness, ambition
and intelligence are the most
important features'
___________________________________________________________________
The result was a series of global beauty counter events entitled " Your Beauty. Your Style. Your Profile", where consumers were invited to have their make-up done and a professional photo taken. The latter was stored on a USB key which women could take away and upload later.
Appproximately 6.200 customers in North America participated in the events and, because of the high demand, we have added more for the upcoming season". One such event, which will form part of "Fashion's Night Out". will be held in New York in September, where Lauder spokesmodels and creative make-up director Tom Pecheux will be at the department store Sakc Fifth Avenue to "coach participants on taking their best photos'.
It's fairly straighforward to work out wheher a picture is suitable or not for an executive networking site.
According to image consultant Jennifer Aston, "It's about the expression, {which} is usually about looking open, not frowning and not looking too humorous.
You can smile, but not like the Cheshire cat - we want eye contact and an expression that is alert."
An open, unfurrowed online gaze is key, says cninical psychologist Dr Cecilia d'Felice. " The ability to recognise faces is fundamental tu survival.
We are hardwired to be able to remember thousands of faces, so what you communicate in your face, and how you represent youself, is going to have huge impact."
Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premusic, a research psychologist and senior lecturer at Goldsmiths, London, says of the profile picture, "Here, things like trustworthiness, ambition and intelligence are the most important reatures."
Accortidng to Linkedin member Rose Alexander, a consultant solicitor, "Initially I wasn't going to put a photo up, but as I looked at other people's profiles, I realised that the absence of a picture made you seem like you couldn't be bothered. The presence of a photo adds a sense of honesty and accountability."
Wearing make-up is also a good idea, and says Zurn " most women don't wear enough. Although they may not wear that much on a daily basis, in a photo you need to play up your best features."
"The most professional appearance is full day make-up, which may be up to 10 items, but applied in a very light way," says Aston. "If you wear no make-up, you are perceived to be more junior."
"I don't think having a photo on a virtual networking site is life or death, but it helps to build a personal image," says John Purkiss of the London executive search firm Purkiss & Company.
" A lot of executive searching and research is done be people in their twenties and early thirties so, if they are thinking about contacting someone, they often go and see them on Linkedin, and if they have a good, friendly photo, it makes them much more approachable."
