Photo resumes: A picture is worth a thousand words...or is it?

Recently, when a client asked me if she should include a photo on her resume, I told her that no job candidate should ever include a photograph unless she is applying for a job as a model or actor.  There are no good reasons to put a photo on a resume, and more than one good reason to leave it off. 

Many HR people consider applicants who include pictures of themselves to be vain; doing so gives the impression that an applicant is not serious or that he feels he should get the job based upon his looks.  In addition, hiring managers like to discourage the practice because once they see a photo of an applicant, they are now able to discern information about race, ethnicity, weight, age - even disabilities.  The last thing any company wants is to be faced with accusations of discrimination.  For this reason, many employers have a strict policy of rejecting all resumes that include photos.

If you want a better chance at getting called in for an interview, don't take the chance that your resume will be rejected before it is ever read.  Leave the photo off.