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"You may think a photo should have little to do with your eligibility as a job candidate. You would be right to think so. Unfortunately, in a day and age where employers are reviewing you as both a r\u00E9sum\u00E9 and a social media entity, your first impression is not necessarily made by an interview; it's made online. And as you, recent graduate, enter into the 2014 job market, staring at what Slate.com estimates is an 8.5% unemployment rate and a 16.8% underemployment rate, don't want to risk being passed over just because your profile pic is from a wild night out, or is a blurry selfie, or shows you looking unprofessional.. And, like it or not, fashion and beauty are crucial instruments in how we present ourselves to the world.\n\n A lot of you will be skeptical\u2014maybe even incensed\u2014about that statement. (The vanity!) So don't take it from us. Take it from Nancy Etcoff of Harvard Medical School. Ms. Etcoff has run a number of studies related to the psychology of beauty. One such experiment, titled \"Cosmetics as a Feature of the Extended Human Phenotype,\" analyzed how makeup played a role in human perception. To do so, Etcoff asked viewers in two studies to rate female faces with or without color cosmetics. Then, she varied the style of makeup from minimal to moderate to dramatic and asked subjects to rate the faces for attractiveness, competence, likeability, and trustworthiness. Faces with makeup scored higher on all counts than faces without. \"We show that faces with cosmetics engage both fast, reflexive processes, and more deliberative conscious processes,\" Etcoff writes. In other words, no, you do not need to wear makeup IRL if you don't want to\u2014but if you're taking a picture for your LinkedIn page, a swipe of mascara and a hint of lipstick may be a good investment.\n\n To give Etcoff's study a bit of context in the professional sphere, we talked to Nicole Williams, LinkedIn's career expert, who's part of a Tumblr project called \"Face the World,\" which aims to educate young people about the significance of their digital presence in a career setting. \"LinkedIn profiles with a photo are eleven times more likely to be viewed by a recruiter than profiles without,\" she says. \"Your photo should highlight you at your professional\u2014not personal\u2014best.\" So odds are, if you're using one picture for your Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter avatars, you should probably avoid it on LinkedIn. \"At the end of the day, your goal is to create an image that represents you within your industry. Your hair style, the clothes you wear, and even the background of your photo can help people see you in your professional role.\"\n\n So what does the perfect job candidate look like? Here, some professional pointers:\n\n Hair: \"Your mane should be shiny and healthy with natural movement and volume,\" says Aussie celebrity hair pro Sarah Potempa. \"It's actually preferred to have you hair down in a career photo, as long as it's polished and healthy-looking.\" (AKA, don't go crazy with that curling wand, and definitely don't overdo it with the flatiron.) \"Sometimes putting one side of the hair back and the other forward is an easy way to look more polished. And lighting is pretty crucial\u2014face the light source, whether it's the window or the sun. It eliminates flyaways and enhances the face!\" A surefire way to get A-plus strands before a photo or an interview? Book a blowdry. \"If you can afford it, getting a professional blowout the day of is a great idea,\" Potempa says. Adding a natural wave to limp hair or enhancing your curls is always the best option. Changing up your texture leaves too much room for error\u2014you want your hair to be the shiniest, best version of itself.\n\n Makeup: In the aforementioned Etcoff study, subjects ranked women with \"natural\" makeup more trustworthy and competent than women with \"glamorous\" makeup. (AKA, now is not the time for practicing one of those smoky eye tutorials you saw on YouTube.) Artist Jennifer Fleming insists on hitting what she calls \"the trifecta\": skin, lashes, and lips. \"Eye contact shows confidence,\" she notes, \"so you want a coat of mascara that adds volume and length without clumping.\" Her favorite (and one of ours, too) is CoverGirl Clump Crusher. She also recommends a lip color that has a bit of translucency so you're merely enhancing your natural shade. (Check out our Lipstick for Beginners guide for ten awesome suggestions.) As for the face? A thin veil of complexion is advised\u2014foundation always photographs best, but for daytime, it's safest to stick with a BB or a CC cream; sheer formulas leave less room for error, which is important when you can't touch up during a busy day of back-to-back interviews.\n\n Fashion: A career portrait is about 60% beauty... and 40% what top you're wearing. It's an inconvenient truth for anyone whose wardrobe does not consist of a few practical blouses. Say goodbye to the sequined going out tops you wore with your sorority sisters! \"When dressing professionally, you should be thinking three words: flattering, tasteful, and powerful,\" says celebrity style expert George Kotsiopoulos. In order to still look young and modern, he recommends taking style cues from the Ralph Lauren or Burberry runways. (And, obviously, translating that aesthetic to a post-grad budget via Topshop, Zara, and the like.) \"You can be slightly more experimental in creative fields,\" he notes. \"If you're entering fashion, play with an undone braid and a subtle pop art print. But if you're business-minded, definitely opt for a classic, crisp buttondown and stick to shades of black, white, or gray.\" As for you law, finance, or accounting majors? \"Invest in a suit,\" Kotsiopoulos says, noting that tailoring is essential. While your mind may be thinking Donna Karan, your budget should suggest Theory, Hugo Boss, or Ann Taylor. One last piece of wisdom? Ditch the arm party. \"Limit yourself to one accessory,\" Kotsiopoulos adds. \"This is not the time for a statement piece.\" And when it finally comes to the flash of the camera, \"Smile! Avoid the duck face or the classic puzzled selfie expression. That's just not a good look for a prospective employer.\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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