A Picture is Worth a Thousand... Rejections?
If you browse resume templates on Canva or Etsy, you'll see beautiful designs with smiling headshots. They look professional and modern. But if you use one for a job application in the United States, you are making a critical mistake.
The Legal Issue: Discrimination Bias
The United States has strict labor laws enforced by the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) to prevent discrimination based on race, gender, age, and appearance.
When a company receives a resume with a photo, it opens them up to unconscious bias lawsuits. If they reject you, you could claim it was because they didn't like how you looked. To protect themselves from this liability, many HR departments have a strict policy: Auto-Reject resumes with photos.
The Cultural Expectation
- US, UK, Canada: No photos. Focus purely on merit/skills.
- Germany, France, Asia: Photos are often expected or acceptable.
If you are applying to a US company, having a photo signals that you don't understand the local business culture. It makes you look out of touch.
Exceptions to the Rule
There are only two fields where a headshot is acceptable:
- Acting/Modeling: Where your appearance is the product.
- Real Estate: Where personal branding is key (sometimes).
For everyone else—Software Engineers, Accountants, Marketers, Nurses—keep the photo off.
What to Do Instead
Include a link to your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is the appropriate place for a professional headshot. Recruiters will look you up there if they are interested, but keep the official document text-only.