How to prepare a headshot for a CV
By Sekora Studios · Updated
Read the employer's photo rules first. If they want a square around 600 by 600 pixels, open the passport photo cropper, frame your head and shoulders, and download. If they want a different size, use Resize image. If they also cap the file size, run Compress image after the crop. If they want the photo as a one-page PDF, add that image in Image to PDF. This does not write or design the CV.
Steps
- Note the pixels and the maximum file size on the application.
- Use a plain background and even light. Face the camera.
- If 600 by 600 matches the form, open the passport photo cropper and place the square.
- If the file is over their limit, open Compress image and set that limit.
- Download and upload that copy. For a one-page PDF, open Image to PDF and add the single photo.
When 600 by 600 is wrong
Plenty of applications want a small JPG, a rectangle, or no photo at all. Follow their line. The passport cropper is only for a square 600 by 600 export. There is a longer guide on passport photos if the authority has its own rules.
More questions
Can you build the CV PDF with my text?
No. You can turn the headshot into a one-page PDF of the photo. The resume text stays in your own document.
Should I remove location data?
If you also send the photo as an image file, run Remove metadata on it. A PDF made here does not keep the photo's metadata.