AI tools are generating significant buzz in the workplace! At Bloom Talent, we have embraced this technology and started utilizing it internally and have seen the impact it can make on your day-to-day. As part of our ongoing efforts to support candidates in their job search, we are excited to introduce our AI series that will be shared over the upcoming months covering various ways and tools to utilize AI in your jobs!
To kick this off, we are sharing the concept of AI photography and its potential to enhance your professional presence on LinkedIn. Our Recruiter, Charlotte, has curated a helpful guide that walks you through the step-by-step process, provides useful tips, and highlights important considerations when working with AI-generated images. It may not seem obvious, but your LinkedIn photo plays a crucial role in your job search
This is a piece of feedback we consistently provide to our network because it holds such importance: please have a professional headshot for your LinkedIn profile! A professional headshot demonstrates your professionalism and sets the tone for your entire profile. Save the car selfies, night-out snapshots, and family portraits for platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
(Credit: @ellendegeneres)
We understand that not everyone has the opportunity or resources for a professional photoshoot. That's why I was excited when a candidate of mine shared that her striking new LinkedIn headshot was generated by AI. This sparked an idea and I had to explore it further to see if it was a viable option for our candidates.
A Google search will yield several options for AI generated headshot creators. I personally opted for Headshot Pro because of its positive reviews. The process was straightforward and easy to navigate. All I had to do was create an account, purchase credits ($29 for 120 AI-generated headshots), choose my preferred backgrounds and attire, and upload my photos.
Headshot Pro requires a minimum of 15 photos of yourself to generate your headshots. I searched for photos of myself using the "People” section in my iPhone Photos app. Headshot Pro gives you instructions on what makes a good photo to upload. I specifically chose images with eye contact, a nice smile, good lighting, and no shadows on my face. It took me approximately 20 minutes to select the photos. For some of them, I had to crop out other people to meet the requirements. I also took one selfie in my house against a white background to add into the mix.
After submitting my initial set of 15 photos, I found that half of them were rejected based on the platform's parameters. This prompted me to go back and upload more photos that met the requirements. Although the minimum is 15, Headshot Pro recommends at least 20 photos to ensure better results. However, considering the time it took me to gather the initial 15 photos, I decided to proceed with what I had.
(The actual photos from my phone that I uploaded.)
Once I finalized my photo selection and submitted them, the headshot generation process began. 2 hours later, the results were in, and I was blown away! Some of the images immediately stood out to me and I was very impressed by the resemblance. The images looked like high-quality professional shots. While most of them were not an identical representation of myself, many of them were certainly close enough to use on my LinkedIn. They give you over 100 options with different styles and expressions, so you should get at least a handful of good ones to choose from.
Overall, I was extremely impressed with the outcome, but it’s important to understand that the results won’t be perfect. In some of the images, my eyes and teeth looked off, or there were some other visible distortions. Additionally, many of the options appeared overly formal or serious. The clothing and jewelry also didn't align with my personal style, although the website does offer options. Make sure you don’t upload any of your photos with backpacks or purse straps because I discovered that those may get integrated into your images.
The generated headshots have a "beautified" or airbrushed appearance, but for the most part, they looked realistic. I would estimate that close to half of them strongly resembled me, and 5% were so convincing that even my own family wouldn't be able to distinguish them as AI-generated. In fact, I even ended up updating my own LinkedIn with one of these generated images. All in all, a resounding success!
If you need to update your LinkedIn with a more professional headshot, we would highly recommend trying AI. Check out our blog post for other tips on how to create a LinkedIn profile that stands out!