Profile Picks

Have you ever met someone and say (or think to yourself) “You don’t look anything like your profile pick?”

I had a CEO like that. She had a picture that was taken over 10 years ago as her profile picture — you know, where there are no wrinkles, perfect makeup, smiling, hair that was perfect and vibrant?

Well, when you met her, she looked nothing like it. She now looked old, gray hair, wrinkles, and never smiled.

We went to many meetings where everyone would pass right by her or would be talking with her and you could see it dawn on them that the lady they were speaking to was the same lady with the different profile picture.

It became almost a joke. No, not with her, but with those that met her. Too many times we (myself and the rest of the staff) heard people say that they couldn’t believe it was her, that “what had happened to her”, and “why did she use a picture that was either not her or was from her decades ago”?

Think about what you use for a profile picture.

I was mentoring one young kid (20), who had just put up his profile picture on #linkedin. He used a picture of him and his girlfriend hugging in front of a sunset. When he asked me for my input on his account, the first thing I said to him was “Who gives a s**t that you are in a relationship? I want to hire you for your skillset, not because you are in love. Put that picture on other social media accounts, not on your business account.” Yes, it may have been harsh, but, honesty and truth are so lost on the young today.

Like with the CEO above, there is a time and place to show off how you may have looked, or want to look, or whatever. Yes, I have a book called “Perception is Reality”, but, I don’t have a book that says “Show off what you were, not what you are”. You get the idea.

Perception IS reality. Having a picture of yourself as you were decades ago gives the perception that you aren’t who you are today and are trying to relive your past. We all change. Embrace it. Don’t hide from it.