The importance of a good profile photo

When registering as a candidate for a job on a yacht, don’t underestimate the importance of a decent photo. This photo will sit alongside your experience and your qualifications and makes a big impression on how professional you will look to recruiters. Recruiters see so many examples of what not do to, so make your application stand out by getting it right from the outset.

You don’t need to spend a fortune on a professional photographer, you can get perfectly good shots from the latest smart phones.

Follow our quick guide to taking and achieving the perfect profile photo:

Ideally:

• be in a uniform - especially if you have previous yacht experience
• have a maritime theme in the background, e.g. a marina, sea, yachts, etc.
• be on your own, not in a group (and don’t crop out others around you as this can look unprofessional, especially in a social party setting)
• get someone else to take it for you – a selfie is definitely not professional!
• be presentable – clean, tidy and neat
• don’t wear sunglasses or hats as they will hide too much of your face
• cover up or remove any facial tattoos or piercings if you have them - you may struggle to find work on a yacht if you have very obvious tattoos and piercings
• take a head and shoulders shot and ensure your head is right in the centre of the photo (photo software tends to crop and zoom and in the cropped image your head will be missing!). Eyes should be around one third from the top of the photo, not in the centre. A full body shot is not normally required.
• smile! A nice, natural smile will show that you are friendly and easy to work with. Jobs on a yacht are client-facing so it is essential to show service with a smile.
• avoid filters! In the age of the selfie and with the likes of Snapchat readily available, it is very tempting to use the latest filters to make yourself look as amazing or perfect as possible. But for a professional photo, any kind of filter is unacceptable and should be kept for your personal album only.

The photo itself should be:

• portrait
• jpeg format
• up to 5 MB to that it is a good quality image that can be easily uploaded

It may seem like a long list but following the simple and common-sense steps above will ensure that you have a professional looking photo, which, with the right qualifications and experience, will make you an appealing candidate for recruiters.