Profile templates & photo checklists

LINKEDIN HEADLINE FORMULAS
Replace everything in [brackets]. LinkedIn allows up to 220 characters; the first 60 or so are what people see in search results and comments, so put the most important words first.

1. Role + who you help
[Job title] at [Company] | Helping [audience] [achieve outcome]

2. Specialist
[Job title] | [Specialty 1] · [Specialty 2] · [Specialty 3]

3. Credential first (regulated professions)
[Credential, e.g. CPA, RN, Esq.] [Job title] for [type of client or industry]

4. Founder or freelancer
[What you do] for [who] | Founder of [Company] | [One proof point you can back up]

5. Job seeker or career changer
[Target role] | [Years or depth] of experience in [field] | Open to [type of role, location or remote]

6. Student or graduate
[Degree] student at [School] | Interested in [field] | [Relevant project or internship]

CHECK BEFORE YOU SAVE
[ ] Contains the words a recruiter or client would search for
[ ] Every claim is something you could explain in an interview
[ ] No emoji walls or "guru", "ninja", "rockstar"
[ ] Reads well when cut off after about 60 characters

LINKEDIN ABOUT SECTION TEMPLATE
LinkedIn allows up to 2,600 characters. Only the first two or three lines show before "see more", so the hook carries the most weight. Write in the first person.

PART 1 - HOOK (1 to 2 sentences)
I help [audience] [solve problem or reach goal].
or: For [number] years I have [done the thing you are known for].

PART 2 - WHAT YOU DO AND HOW (2 to 4 sentences)
Today I work as [role] at [company], where I [main responsibilities in plain words].
My focus is [specialty], especially [the kind of work you want more of].

PART 3 - PROOF (2 to 4 short lines)
Recent work I am proud of:
- [Project or result, with a number only if you can verify it]
- [Project or result]
- [Award, publication, certification or talk]

PART 4 - NEXT STEP (1 to 2 sentences)
I am open to [opportunities, clients, speaking, collaborations].
The best way to reach me is [email or "send me a message here"].

CHECK BEFORE YOU SAVE
[ ] First two lines make sense on their own
[ ] Short paragraphs, no wall of text
[ ] Keywords for your field appear naturally
[ ] Contact route is clear

CV PHOTO GUIDELINES CHECKLIST

1. SHOULD YOUR CV HAVE A PHOTO?
[ ] Check what is normal where you are applying. Photos are common on CVs in much of continental Europe, and usually left off in the US, UK, Canada and Ireland, where employers often prefer CVs without one.
[ ] Follow the job ad. If it asks for no photo, leave it out.
[ ] When in doubt for an international role, ask the recruiter.

2. FORMAT
[ ] Portrait format, about 3:4 (width to height)
[ ] Head and top of shoulders, face roughly centred
[ ] Placed top left or top right, about 4 to 5 cm tall
[ ] Embedded in the PDF at a sharp resolution, not stretched

3. THE PHOTO ITSELF
[ ] Recent: it looks like you on the day of the interview
[ ] Even, soft light on your face, no harsh shadows
[ ] Plain, uncluttered background
[ ] Clothing you would wear to the interview
[ ] Natural, friendly expression and eye contact with the camera
[ ] No sunglasses, filters, holiday snaps or cropped group photos

4. FINAL CHECK
[ ] Same photo as your LinkedIn profile, so recruiters recognise you
[ ] File name is professional (e.g. firstname-lastname-cv.pdf)

TEAM HEADSHOT BRIEF

1. THE SPEC (decide once, share with everyone)
Where the photos will be used: [website team page / intranet / email signatures / ID badges / press]
Format: [3:4 portrait] or [1:1 square], head and shoulders
Background: [plain light grey / white / brand colour / soft office]
Clothing: [business / business casual / brand T-shirt]
Deadline: [date]
Who owns the photos and how long they are kept: [policy]
Opting out: [who to contact if someone prefers not to be pictured]

2. MESSAGE TO EMPLOYEES (copy and edit)
Subject: New team photos by [date]

Hi everyone,

We are refreshing the photos on our [website / intranet / signatures] so the whole team has a consistent, current headshot.

What we need from you: [book a slot with the photographer on DATE / upload a clear selfie through LINK].
The look: [background], [clothing], head and shoulders.
Deadline: [date].

Your photo will only be used for [uses listed above]. If you would rather not be pictured, reply to me directly.

Thanks,
[Name]

3. TRACKING LIST
Name | Team | Photo received | Approved by employee | Published
[ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ]

4. BEFORE YOU PUBLISH
[ ] Every person approved their own photo
[ ] Crops, backgrounds and sizes match
[ ] New starters have a clear way to get a matching photo later

DATING PROFILE PHOTO CHECKLIST

1. YOUR FIRST PHOTO
[ ] Just you, no group, no guessing which one you are
[ ] Face clearly visible, no sunglasses or hat shading your eyes
[ ] Taken recently and looks like you today
[ ] Soft, flattering light; daylight near a window works well
[ ] A real smile or relaxed expression

2. THE REST OF YOUR SET
[ ] One full-length or half-body photo
[ ] One doing something you genuinely enjoy
[ ] At most one group photo, where you are easy to spot
[ ] A mix of settings and outfits, not the same shot repeated
[ ] Every photo is sharp, not a blurry zoom-in

3. AVOID
[ ] Heavy filters or face-changing beauty modes
[ ] Photos with an ex cropped out
[ ] Bathroom mirror selfies as your main photo
[ ] Photos where you are tiny in the frame

4. HONESTY CHECK
[ ] Someone meeting you tomorrow would recognise you from every photo