Ask the expert: Photos can trigger biases

Q: I am updating my CV and getting ready to look for a new job. I have been working on a contract basis for several years and the project I am managing will come to an end in a few months, so it is a natural step for me to take. I have been reading several books and websites about how to present myself, and I'm fairly happy with the content and structure of my CV.

Several resources have suggested including a photo in the CV. I'm fairly computer savvy, so inserting a digital picture isn't a problem for me, but I wondered if it would really help my job chances.

A: Fundamentally, it depends on the type of job you are looking for and whether appearance is part of the job requirements. Certainly, in performing arts and modelling, a person's looks are central to their employment, and portfolios of pictures and other media often are part of an application. This is less likely to be the case for employment in project management, however.

Pictures are often used in research to trigger biases and stereotypes, about age, gender, ethnicity, and so on.

They are extremely powerful sources of assumptions about capability, including a potential stereotype that people who use their photo in a CV are vain or lack other skills and are "trading on their looks".

As the expression says, a picture is worth a thousand words and it can overwhelm the rest of your well-thought out content and turn loose a set of perceptions and biases you cannot control.

You want your CV to reflect that your skills and characteristics meet the job requirements so I wouldn't include anything that detracts from that, including your hobbies and pets.

I have found few photographs consistently reproduce well when a CV has been printed and photocopied for members of a search panel.

If you are trying to make a more "personal" impression with a photograph, you might do just as well delivering the CV in person if that is possible, or by calling to ensure that the CV has been received, as well as making sure that the CV and letter look great on their own.