The Do’s and Don’ts of Headshots for New Grads

Hey Class of 2026 graduates! You need to stand out in a crowded market—and your headshot is your first impression. But where do you go to get a headshot, and how do you know where to share it?

As the latest graduates head into higher education, internships, or enter the job market, these young people face a lot of pressure: they want a “perfect” position so that they can show outwardly success, they’re about to start at the lowest paying job in a field they are passionate about, or they want a job that pays the rent and expenses.

Take pressure off yourself and cross one thing off list: get a professional headshot from Ginger Liemohn Creative, LLC. She has a special rate for students and recent graduates. If you are a recent college graduate, grab your headshot session using her LinkedIn Headshot for College Students Package.

Ginger has worked with hundreds of students in her decade career, and she’s got your back.

Why not use AI to convert a selfie into a headshot?

There are a number of ethical issues about AI headshot use to unpacked in a future blog, but the key three reasons are:

1. It will look fake and that impacts the first impression someone has of you…there will be a mismatch of what you look like and what the AI-generated image is.
2. You don’t own the rights to the AI-generated likeness of yourself.
3. Authenticity rules over perfection. Employers are not expecting perfection, but they want real people who share a real passion about what they do and have an open mindset thinking. Employers want quality talent that have problem-solving skills and who can work within a team.

But how do you know what kind of headshot to get? The two basic types are “environmental” or “studio.” Environmental could be outdoors, in an interior office environment, or on location at a beautiful building or park. Studio headshots are usually in a photography studio, but most professional photographers can bring the setup to your location for an additional fee.

The type of headshot depends on your industry, but a trusted professional photographer will know what best represents your professional vibe. Heading into the financial field? Best to be more formal with a suit. The vibe is “you can trust me with your financial data.” Whereas heading into entertainment industry such as acting or modeling, being able to show your emotional range is key, so smiling isn’t as important. In fact, you will want several headshots that express your individuality for different roles.

What about the use of your headshot?

With whom should you share it with and under what circumstances? Can your potential employer ask for a headshot, and should you give it? No, a potential employer shouldn’t because of legal, privacy, and potential discrimination reasons; however, most likely employers will do a Google and/or LinkedIn search and find your image. So ensure it reflects the narrative of your (hero) story.

Once you are employed or joined a graduate school community, the institution will most likely hire either a professional photographer or have an existing marketing staff member to photograph you. Why? It will most likely be for an internal staff directory or team photo, or, in some cases, outwardly for their website.

When should you refuse to submit a photo of yourself?

When you are applying to job other than an acting or modeling agency. If you feel uncomfortable with your employer’s use of the photo. You have a right to ask the human resources department how your image is going to be used.

Have more questions about headshots? Schedule a Discovery Call with Ginger to find out what your needs are for your preferred industry. Visit my Contact Page at www.GingerLiemohn.com/Contact to book your professional headshot with me.