Whether you work in management, marketing, medicine, or virtually any other field – your professional image online is critical for your career success.

If you can’t remember the last time you refreshed your headshots, or if you’ve never worked with a professional photographer, don’t wait until your boss or coworkers make a comment about your current photo.

In this article, we’re covering the five times you know you need a new professional headshot.

When You Should Update Your Headshots

If you have already taken a headshot or two, it’s easy to assume that you have the coverage you need. Yet no matter how great your headshot is, you shouldn’t use the same professional photo forever. Take a closer look at five times you might need a refresh:

1: Your Current Headshot Is a Selfie

When you took your first headshot, you might not have been fully prepared. Rather than taking the time to schedule a professional shoot, you might have snapped a quick selfie or asked a friend to stage an informal shoot in the backyard.

These amateur photos might have worked in a pinch. However, you should take advantage of the first opportunity you have to upgrade your headshots and show yourself in a professional light. On LinkedIn and other places online, it’s very easy to see which professionals invested in a headshot versus those that didn’t.

2: You’ve Changed Your Look

If you recently spent time and money on a professional photo shoot, you might be inclined to keep reusing your old headshots. After all, you want to get as much mileage out of them as possible.

However, if you no longer look anything like your old headshots, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Any time you make a significant change to your appearance, such as altering your hairstyle or color, or gaining or losing significant weight, it’s important to update your headshots. After all, you want your headshots to create an accurate depiction of you for clients and colleagues.

3: You’re Ready to Establish Your Personal Brand

Early in your career, you might not have had a well-defined personal brand. As a result, your headshots may look professional, yet generic.

Once you’ve defined your brand and decided you’re ready to establish yourself, however, it’s important to get headshots that reflect your identity. Your headshots are likely to be published on your company’s website, on your personal portfolio, on social media, and in countless other places. To keep your personal brand consistent, you need the right headshots.

4: You’ve Transitioned to a New Field or Level

Perhaps you invested in professional headshots toward the beginning of your career. Perhaps you updated your headshots the last time you received a major promotion. At the time, they depicted you accurately, but now, they may no longer reflect your professional level or field.

Every time you advance your career or move into a new field, consider refreshing your headshots. Naturally, when you want to establish yourself in a new role or industry, it’s important to look the part.

5: You Need More Variety

Having one great headshot isn’t always enough. As you make a name for yourself, your profile is likely to be published on a wide range of websites and social media accounts. Over time, sharing the same headshot can make you look out of touch.

To avoid including the same photo every time you speak at an event or join a professional network, get an updated set of headshots. Ask your photographer to create a number of different sets or request a range of expressions to give your headshots more variety and nuance.

For exactly these scenarios, we offer Platinum Branding Sessions at our studio – where customers can split their 60-minute session between indoor and outdoor photos for maximum variety.

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That’s a wrap! Thanks for reading. If none of the above situations fit your situation, we generally recommend clients update their headshot every two years at a minimum.

If you’d like to consider refreshing your headshot, head on over to our Individual Sessions page for booking information. As always, feel free to reach out to us at smile@headshots-inc.com with any questions.