Scott Lackey ⋅ New York, NY Jugular ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi Elise:

Research has demonstrated that people are much more likely to interact with a person with a photo than a standardized box. It increases the personal dimension of the conversation, which is particularly important here where veterans are looking, I would imagine, to receive a wide range of responses.

Hope that helps,
Scott Lackey

Rashid Hill, MPM ⋅ San Diego, CA United States Navy ⋅ 33 years experience

Great replies and I would surely agree. The only thing I would add is in this fast evolving culture of what we term "relationship marketing", people tend to want to trust who they are interacting with online. In these types of forums (social media) there is a perceived level of expertise behind every profile. The initial introduction to open a dialogue is when the seeker can view who they feel comfortable with and that has been proven to be professionals with photos.

Philip Kang ⋅ San Antonio, TX USAA ⋅ 25 years experience

Please consider investing in a professional 'head shot.' Your photo says a lot about how passionate you are about finding a role, and will help your profile stand out in a crowd. As a hiring manager, I will often 'skip over' resumes/profiles that include poor quality photos or 'selfies.' While I understand the need to personalize/differentiate, I recommend doing that through your resume, NOT by posting a 'fun' photo of oneself.

Robert Becker ⋅ Cumming, GA Hewlett Packard ⋅ 27 years experience

I would always post a photo unless you have something to hide from law enforcement. :) It creates a more personalized experience and it really helps with recalling 'who is this person?' I see and talk with the same group of people for days on end yet a few weeks later I'll have a really hard time placing the name. A picture on the other hand results in almost instantaneous recognition.