Margaret Hodge Recruitment
Edinburgh 0131 225 8901 | Livingston 01506 437 402 | glasgow 0141 226 8855 | East Kilbride 01355 241 040
Quick Job Search
Register With Us
Save jobs & searches, upload your CV & keep up to date on future opportunities...
Email Newsletter Signup
Latest News / article
19/01/2012
Should You Include a Photo on Your CV?
More and more frequently now, the consultants at Margaret Hodge Recruitment are receiving candidate CVs which include a photograph. This growing trend recently started a discussion in the office about whether or not this was a positive thing for candidates to do and some very interesting points were made.
The first thing to consider is first impressions. Both employers and recruitment agencies are required to operate within anti-discrimination legislation, but that does not mean that no discrimination ever takes place, even if it done subconsciously. If an employer sees your picture before having the opportunity to interview, they will make some sort of initial judgement, whether that be good or bad.
If you are the right candidate for the job this will come through at interview with the employer, if you are not right for the job then being chosen for interview on the basis of a picture will only waste your own time and cause disappointment.
Don’t give an employer the opportunity to refuse you for interview on anything other than your suitability for the role. Work on your CV to communicate your strengths, skills experience and achievements to help get you to interview.
The second thing to consider is that if you are applying through a recruitment agency it is most unlikely that they will send your picture along with your CV to their client, so it will be for their benefit only. Professional recruitment consultants are properly trained in CV screening to identify relevant experience and transferable skills, so they do not need to see your picture to know if you are a good potential candidate for the role. 
With all that said, if you are going to include a photograph on your CV, do make sure it is both suitable and respectable. The last thing an employer wants to see is a picture of prospective employee on a drunken night out or dressed up for Halloween!
This also relates to your LinkedIn profile picture, as employers and recruitment agencies are both likely to do a little online research on their candidates.
back
Celebrating 30 years of Margaret Hodge