About being something else than IC or middle manager

Question

I've noticed a curious pattern. LinkedIn and Slack profile pictures of VPs, CTOs, upper management, and basically anyone who's not an IC (a senior software engineer like me) or a middle engineering manager share one thing in common:They are "serious" pictures, typically taken from the front and looking very professional. They are wearing at least a shirt, avoiding hoodies or similar casual clothes. They transmit "professionalism".I lack this. It's not that I cannot wear shirts or similar clothing; it's just that I don't want to transmit "professionalism" merely through my profile picture. The problem I see is that if your profile/CV has a less-than-adequate picture, it's likely it will be rejected.This probably doesn't apply to FAANG companies (the best counterexample is probably Peter Norvig and his hawaiian shirts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Norvig)

silverquiet · Accepted Answer

I once had a buddy who was sort of a generalist pro photographer. His absolute favorite type of job was the big company executive headshot day. He'd spend a bit of time setting up his setting or background, light everything well, and then just essentially have them come in like an assembly line and get their pictures taken. He'd typically get around $100 per delivered shot. Which is to say that these pictures aren't accidental; a lot of care goes into them. I'm sure that's somewhat apparent, but it might be more work than you realize.

caprock · Answer

I think it's less that it must be one style, and more about having a profile image that isn't bad. It could be any good picture of you, or you could just have a consistent and interesting image across platforms. Something that shows you took a little care.
Certainly there are some patterns to be found, and many people in upper management (moreso outside tech) take the "good headshot" approach. That's just the commonly accepted path and checks the box.
I think it's fine to show more creativity. Alternatively, you just play the game and move on, expressing yourself in other ways.