It is important to have a professional headshot photo for your LinkedIn profile. Generally, recruiters will not spend time on your LinkedIn profile if you don’t have a profile picture. According to LinkedIn, profiles that include a photo are 21 times more likely to be viewed than those without one. Make sure you have a professional profile photo, be sure to use a neutral background for the picture, and wear business formal attire for most industries. It’s worth paying a professional photographer to make your photo look more professional.
The more recent the photo, the better. Some people leave their profile picture up for years. When you’re setting up a meeting for coffee or an interview, you want to be the person the other person has seen in your profile photo, not someone who looks vastly different.