Get prepared for your photo!

By scheduling your appointment, you have successfully completed the first step towards having a really good photo! Here are some additional things to consider in preparation:

1. Get inspired

You might find it helpful to look at photos of MIT alumni on LinkedIn or bio pages for MIT faculty and researchers. Ultimately, this will be about you but you might want to get a good sense of how you want to look in your photo before you even get here.

2. Give yourself plenty of time

Your appointment may be for 10 minutes, but you will want to give yourself time to feel ready to take an awesome photo. Plan to arrive 5 to 10 minutes early so you can relax, de-stress, and gain your composure prior to your session.

3. Select an outfit to wear

You can consider wearing something you feel would best represent you professionally. Consider using an outfit that you would wear to a job interview or networking event. Solid color clothing typically works best. If you are worried about distance or weather affecting your attire, CAPD offers lockers and a changing room you can use. Please make certain you allocate sufficient time prior to your appointment time to change and get ready.

4. Make sure your hair is neat and styled the way you want

In addition to getting well-groomed prior to your appointment, don’t let a windy or rainy day in Cambridge ruin your photo! CAPD has a set of gendered-restrooms just outside our lobby, and some inclusive bathrooms are located in nearby buildings for a quick touch-up.

5. Avoid over-doing things

For your professional photo, less may be more. Be mindful of the amount and style of jewelry, make-up, and patterned materials you have on for your photo. Keep things simple.

6. Bring your smart-phone

Upon completion of your photo session you will need to scan a QR code to download your pictures. Please make certain you download your photos before you leave your appointment as we may not be able to retrieve them after your session.

For more tips, you may want to check out this article from OutSnapped. Career Advising and Professional Development is happy to offer this service to students and postdocs for the months of April and May 2024.