Should I put my picture on my resume?
Do what the employer expects. If a job posting asks for a photo, or the people you are applying to usually receive them, add one. If you are applying to a company that does not expect one, leave it off: a photo gives the reader something to judge other than your work, and many employers prefer not to have it.
Most applicant tracking software ignores the image. Those systems read the text of the file, so a photo resume neither gains nor loses points in the first automated pass. The decision is about the human who reads it next. When you are unsure, send the plain version and keep a photo version ready, since you can change the file in a minute.
Photo on a resume in India, the Philippines, the US and the UK
Practice differs by country, and a CV photo is treated the same way as a resume photo. These are common conventions, not laws, and individual employers vary, so read the posting before you decide.
| Country | Common practice | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| India | A photo is common, including for IT and sales roles | Add a small passport-style photo if the employer or the portal expects one |
| Philippines | A photo is common on resumes and biodata | Add a plain, formal photo; many employers ask for a 2x2 print for the application |
| United States | Usually left off | Leave it off unless the role is in modeling, acting or a field where appearance is part of the job |
| United Kingdom | Usually left off | Leave it off; a CV is judged on experience and skills |
If you are applying across borders, build two versions: one with a picture for the markets that expect it, and one without for those that do not. The layout of the plain version stays the same; the space the photo took goes to the header. The India resume format and the Philippines resume format guides say what else each market expects.
What a resume photo should look like
Pick a photo that looks like you on a good day at work. A passport-style frame works best: head and shoulders, facing the camera, in a plain light background, with your face filling most of the frame. Wear what you would wear to the interview. Smile a little. Use a sharp image, not a cropped group shot, a selfie at arm's length or a filter. If you would not hand the picture to the hiring manager in person, it does not belong on the page.
A resume photo sample you can follow: a plain wall, daylight from a window, shirt or blouse in a solid color, no sunglasses, no cap, a natural smile. Ask a friend to take it with a phone held at eye level, then crop to a square or a circle. Keep the file small, around a few hundred kilobytes, so the resume stays easy to email.
Where the photo sits on a resume with a picture
The usual spot is the top corner of the header, next to your name and contact details, about one inch (2.5 cm) wide. A resume format with photo keeps the picture in the header block and does not let it push the first section down. Left or right does not matter much; pick the side your template puts it on and leave the margin clean around it.
Round and square both work. A round photo reads as softer and a square one as more formal; choose by the tone of the job and the template. Do not put a photo on a resume that has a dark header band unless the design gives it a light frame, because a face on a dark background loses detail.
Photo on or off in a CVEmber template
You do not need a separate resume template with photo or a resume template without photo. In CVEmber the editor has a Profile pic switch that puts a photo on any design and takes it off again. Turn it on, upload your picture, and check the preview; turn it off when you apply somewhere that does not want one. Check the preview each time, since the download follows the choice you made.
To choose a design, open the templates gallery; every design takes the switch. For a plain look without a picture, the ATS-friendly templates are the safest start. The resume header guide covers what else goes in that block.
Sources
Checked on 13 October 2026.