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In the background a light gray marble look, in front of the applicant in neat, light clothing and with a slight smile on his face: three and a half by four and a half centimeters passport photos with the same poses adorned almost all résumés just a few years ago.
But times have changed.
Today it seems as if there are hardly any limits to the design of applications and, in particular, the way application photos are made: Instead of a modest picture in the upper right corner of the résumé, large portraits suddenly appear on the covers of the documents.
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Applicants show themselves in strong poses with crossed arms - or dynamic, i.e. in motion, with wind in their hair, while the viewer sees a blurred house facade in the background.
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In fact, it is often not enough nowadays to include a disdainful passport photo, says Caroline Tillmann, career coach and managing director of Tillmann Consulting in Freudenstadt.
“Just like fashion, applications are subject to certain trends,” she says.
"The advancing digitization and today's self-portrayal on social media channels have re-spelled the application process and the way application photos are made."
Application photo yes or no?
Application photos should actually lose their importance.
In August 2006 the Bundestag passed the General Equal Treatment Act, or AGG for short.
Background: Ethnic origin, gender or religion should not discriminate against people in the application process.
That is why employers are no longer allowed to request photos for applications.
Only a degree, professional experience or motivation should convince HR managers.
But unlike in Switzerland, for example, applications without photos have not prevailed.
The reason: companies live the AGG differently in this country.
While Swiss companies explicitly ask their applicants not to send a photo, Germans allow their candidates to do so.
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Today there are probably few applications without a picture.
At least that's what a survey by the Staufenbiel Institute suggests.
82 percent of the 297 companies that the career portal surveyed for its “Recruiting Trends 2017” were of the opinion that only the photo makes an application complete.
Only ten percent preferred documents without photos.
Everything about the application letter
With a picture in front of their eyes, HR professionals hope for a more complete first impression.
How individual is the applicant?
How authentic?
Does it fit the job?
To the company?
"An application photo should reflect the personality of the applicant," says Tillmann.
Specifically, that means: If you want to be agile, it can be a photo in which you are in motion.
For example, the photo studio can give way to the backdrop of a city center, in front of which the applicant walks towards the camera.
The personnel manager recognizes the movement in the picture by the waving hair.
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If you want to appear combative for a challenging position, the smile can give way to a more serious look.
“Pictures are mood carriers.
In the end, what counts is the message of personality and motivation, ”explains the career advisor.
Application photo: number, size of clothing
Today job seekers can - unlike just a few years ago - integrate several photos in their application, explains Tillmann.
It is important to note that the portrait photo should be placed dominantly on the cover sheet of the documents.
In the upper right corner of the curriculum vitae, this picture has less to look for.
The other photos should then no longer be portraits, but rather small, creative series of pictures that fit the content of the cover letter.
These can be photographed hands or tools in action - there are no limits to creativity.
Don't smile too much: this can demonstrate determination
Source: Getty Images / Westend61
If you don't know what to do with your hands, you can cross your arms
Source: Getty Images / Westend61
The decisive factor for the type of application photo is which industry the job candidate is interested in - and how he would like to affect the company.
"If someone applies to a bank, I recommend that they prefer the serious and classic photo variant," says Tillmann.
"If, on the other hand, the goal is a young advertising agency, it can be more casual, more creative and funnier."
It is often helpful to take a look at the company's homepage or the company's own social media platforms: if all employees present themselves there with suits, ties and a serious look, the applicant should orientate themselves on this look - the same applies if the employees wear hoodies , Sportswear, kepis and a funny grimace.
Application photo tips: You should pay attention to this
But no matter how individual application photos may be: They still have to meet certain standards, says photographer Rainer Holz, owner of the photo studio Cologne Süd, which specializes in business photos.
The clothes should be well-groomed, the face clearly recognizable, the background should not be distracting.
“I would recommend taking off your hat and scarf and making sure that you don't see too many conspicuous piercings on your face, for example,” says the photographer.
In addition, unprofessional photos do not go down well with recruiters.
Almost every fourth company questioned said in the “Recruiting Trends” survey that this was even an exclusion criterion with which the applicant was disqualified.
That is why photos, for example, should not be taken out of context.
A picture in which the applicant was photographed in chic clothes at a wedding may seem appropriate at first glance, but the context is a private party - and therefore not well suited.
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Many photographers today offer advice on styling and give tips on outfit, make-up and hairstyle.
In the meantime, the portrayed are often becoming photo professionals themselves, observes photographer Holz: Almost everyone has their smartphone with a top camera with them, edit snapshots with image processing tools and post them later on Facebook, Instagram and Co. “The portrayed are more self-confident .
They know exactly how they look good in photos - and how not, ”says Holz.
A study by the University of New South Wales from 2017 suggests that you should still not choose the most suitable photo alone.
In the study, subjects were asked to choose photos for their profiles in social networks, including the career portal LinkedIn.
Strangers also selected pictures for them.
A third group in turn rated the recordings according to characteristics such as competence and reliability.
The result: The strangers opted for the photos that better conveyed these properties.
"When it comes to choosing the best version of ourselves," the researchers write, "it can be wise to let other people decide for us."
This article was first published in November 2019.