In no particular order, here are 13 things to avoid at all costs when selecting your LinkedIn profile picture…

1  Photo of/or with kids – we don’t want to see your kids on LinkedIn any more than we do in your wallet.

2  Photo of/or with animals – fine if you’re a zookeeper or a vet, if not, steer clear.

3  Group photo – are we meant to guess which one is you?

4  Badly Photoshop-ed images – cutting around a photograph of yourself to paste onto a neutral background is probably more hassle than it’s worth.​ ​And like most Photoshop-ing, if it’s not done well, it’s done terribly.​

5  Selfies – need I say more?

6  Cropped nightclub photos – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, LinkedIn is a professional network; keep your night out photos on Facebook.

7  Too posey – cringe.

8  Cartoons or avatars – they may stand out and appear ‘fun’ and youthful, but if you want to come across as a mature, capable individual, is a cartoon really the best choice? The only caveat for this is if you’re in the creative industry.

9 Award photos – yes, you may have won an award for being excellent at your job, and yes, you may be extremely proud, but there is a place to display these photos – your mother’s mantelpiece (also, the ‘Honors and Awards’ section on LinkedIn).​

10 Pixelated images – images that look as if they may well have been taken from CCTV footage do not show you in a good light.

11 Tiny images – your face surrounded by a giant border looks ridiculous. If resizing the image causes it to become pixelated then take a better quality photo!

12 Your company logo – this is fine on your company page, but your profile should be representative of you, not just your brand.

13 No photo at all – not having a photograph makes it look like you have something to hide. People want to connect with people.​

Your photo is 11 times more likely to be viewed if it has a photograph (Digital Marketing Ramblings).

The ideal LinkedIn photograph is your head and shoulders looking at the camera, against a neutral/plain background. Wear appropriate clothing for your job role, make sure you’re well lit and the image is clear and high quality. Your image should be no smaller than 350px x 350px (max size 500px x 500px). Remember, that your photo is a fundamental part of your personal brand and will make a huge difference to building your network.