Should you put a photo on your CV?
There's no universal answer - photo norms differ sharply by country, and getting it wrong for your market can make a CV look out of place before anyone reads a word of it.
Where a photo is expected
In Poland, Czechia, Germany, and much of continental Europe, a small professional photo is common and rarely counts against you. Leaving it off isn't a problem either - it's a norm, not a requirement.
Where it's discouraged
In the US, UK, Canada, and several other markets, employers often prefer no photo at all, partly due to anti-discrimination hiring practices. A photo there can actually work against you.
If you add one
- Plain, neutral background - no filters, no full-body shots.
- Recent (within the last 1-2 years) and dressed as you would for the interview.
- Small and placed in a corner - it should never compete with your content for attention.
If you skip it
Nothing to compensate for - a clean CV without a photo is completely normal everywhere, and the safest default when you're applying across multiple countries.
Appliora's templates support an optional photo - add one or leave it off, either way it stays clean.
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Comments (2)
Applying to both PL and UK companies - didn't realise the photo expectation flips between them.
Worth keeping two versions of your CV if you're applying across markets with different norms.
Used a small neutral headshot for PL applications, worked fine.