The photo on a CV is a recruiter's first meeting with you. A well-chosen one builds trust; a careless one can overshadow everything else. You don't need a studio: the right light, a plain background and good framing make a phone photo work.
What a good CV photo looks like
- Framing: head and shoulders (down to chest level). The face should fill about half the frame — not tiny, and not touching the edges.
- Gaze: toward the camera at eye level. A slight, natural smile usually builds trust.
- Background: plain and simple — light grey, light blue or white. A cluttered room or holiday scenery distracts.
- Light: soft window light on your face is ideal. Backlight darkens the face; direct flash causes glare.
- Clothing: suited to the industry, simple and solid. Busy patterns distract.
- Recency: recent, and looking like you do today.
Common mistakes
- Using a cropped group or holiday photo (someone's arm on your shoulder still shows).
- Filters and heavy retouching that make you unrecognisable.
- Very low resolution that looks blurry on the CV.
- A side-on or tilted pose.
- A coloured, busy background mixed with daylight.
Size and file
Most CV templates use a 3:4 portrait or a square slot. Prepare the photo in a ratio close to the slot to avoid awkward cropping. Around 300 KB is plenty; the image is reduced when embedded in the PDF anyway.
- Take the photo: Face a window, stand in front of a plain wall and hold the phone steady at eye level.
- Choose the “CV portrait” size in AI Photo Studio: AI finds your face, centres it and sets the head at the right proportion; you can make the background light grey or light blue.
- Read the suitability list and download: Check the warnings for light, head size and pose; download as JPG.
To place the photo on your CV, upload it in the Photo section of CV Maker and drag to position it.