Guides

AI LinkedIn headshot prompts that still look like you

Nine headshot prompts for a profile photo that looks professional and still looks like the person who turns up to the interview.

Published by Sumit Teli

Choose the Professional headshot theme in the AI photo prompt generator to set the clothes, background and light yourself. It writes the prompt only; your AI app makes the photo.

Build a headshot prompt

What people notice in a profile photo

A recruiter or client sees your photo as a small circle next to your name, often before reading anything. At that size, only a few things register:

  • Your face, clearly. Head and shoulders, face large in the frame, eyes visible. LinkedIn crops profile photos into a circle, so leave space around your head.
  • Whether it looks like you. The photo should match the person who turns up to the interview or the video call. A headshot that looks ten years younger or noticeably different works against you.
  • Even light and a plain background. No harsh shadows across the face, nothing distracting behind you.
  • Clothes that fit your field. What you would wear to a meeting in your industry, not a costume.

AI LinkedIn headshot prompts

The face line in each prompt is longer than usual on purpose: it names your hairline and glasses, and rules out smoothing and slimming, because those are the edits that make AI headshots look like someone else.

  • Classic studio headshotOne person, 1:1

    Using the uploaded photo, create a professional head-and-shoulders headshot of me against a plain light-grey studio background. Keep my face exactly as in the photo: same features, face shape, skin tone, age, hairline and any glasses. Natural skin texture with no smoothing, slimming or whitening. Navy blazer over a plain top, soft even light from the front, calm friendly expression, eyes to camera, head centred with space above it. Photorealistic, no text. Aspect ratio 1:1.

  • Blurred office backgroundOne person, 1:1

    Using the uploaded photo, create a business headshot of me in a bright modern office, the background softly blurred. Keep my face exactly as in the photo: same features, face shape, skin tone, age, hairline and any glasses. Natural skin texture with no smoothing, slimming or whitening. Smart shirt or blouse, slight natural smile, soft daylight from a window to one side, 85mm portrait look. Photorealistic, no text or logos. Aspect ratio 1:1.

  • Outdoor natural lightOne person, 4:5

    Using the uploaded photo, create a relaxed professional headshot of me outdoors in open shade, with green trees softly blurred behind. Keep my face exactly as in the photo: same features, face shape, skin tone, age, hairline and any glasses. Natural skin texture with no smoothing, slimming or whitening. Smart-casual jacket, warm approachable smile, even light on the face with no harsh shadows. Photorealistic, no text. Aspect ratio 4:5.

  • Fix my own photo, minimal changeOne person, 1:1

    Using the uploaded photo, keep me, my clothes and my expression as they are and change only the background to a plain soft-grey studio backdrop, then even out the lighting on my face. Keep my face exactly as in the photo: same features, face shape, skin tone, age, hairline and any glasses. Natural skin texture with no smoothing, slimming or whitening. Crop to head and shoulders. Photorealistic, no text. Aspect ratio 1:1.

  • Dark backdrop, executive styleOne person, 4:5

    Using the uploaded photo, create an executive headshot of me against a dark charcoal background with soft directional light from one side. Keep my face exactly as in the photo: same features, face shape, skin tone, age, hairline and any glasses. Natural skin texture with no smoothing, slimming or whitening. Dark suit, confident relaxed expression, slight turn of the shoulders, sharp eyes. Photorealistic, no text. Aspect ratio 4:5.

  • Wide banner photoOne person, 16:9

    Using the uploaded photo, create a wide professional photo of me standing on the right third of the frame in a bright co-working space, the rest softly blurred. Keep my face exactly as in the photo: same features, face shape, skin tone, age, hairline and any glasses. Natural skin texture with no smoothing, slimming or whitening. Smart-casual clothes, natural smile. Photorealistic, no text or logos. Aspect ratio 16:9.

Headshot variations by job

  • Creative or design workOne person, 1:1

    Using the uploaded photo, create a modern headshot of me against a plain muted terracotta wall. Keep my face exactly as in the photo: same features, face shape, skin tone, age, hairline and any glasses. Natural skin texture with no smoothing, slimming or whitening. Simple dark crew-neck top, relaxed genuine smile, soft window light. Photorealistic, no text. Aspect ratio 1:1.

  • HealthcareOne person, 1:1

    Using the uploaded photo, create a professional healthcare headshot of me wearing plain navy scrubs, in front of a softly blurred bright clinic corridor. Keep my face exactly as in the photo: same features, face shape, skin tone, age, hairline and any glasses. Natural skin texture with no smoothing, slimming or whitening. Kind, reassuring expression, clean even light. No badges, text or logos. Photorealistic. Aspect ratio 1:1.

  • Tech or startupOne person, 1:1

    Using the uploaded photo, create a casual professional headshot of me in a plain grey sweater, against a light background with a hint of plants. Keep my face exactly as in the photo: same features, face shape, skin tone, age, hairline and any glasses. Natural skin texture with no smoothing, slimming or whitening. Easy smile, soft daylight. Photorealistic, no text or logos. Aspect ratio 1:1.

Avoiding the over-edited look

The most common problem with AI headshots isn’t a bad background. It is a face that is a little too perfect: smoother skin, a narrower jaw, whiter teeth, brighter eyes. Each change is small; together they make a stranger. To avoid it:

  • Leave out words like “flawless”, “perfect skin”, “attractive” or “model”. They invite reshaping.
  • Keep your glasses if you wear them every day, and your real hair colour and hairline.
  • Compare the result with your real photo at thumbnail size. If a colleague might hesitate, reply: “Undo the retouching. Keep my original skin texture and face shape.”
  • The minimal-change prompt above is often the safest: your own photo with only the background and light cleaned up.
  • Use a photo from the last year or two, so the headshot still looks like you now.

Some employers and industries prefer real photos. If you are unsure, a well-lit phone photo against a plain wall is still a good headshot.

How to use the prompts

  1. Take or pick a front-facing photo. Daylight from a window, camera at eye level, no filters.
  2. Attach it in Gemini or ChatGPT. Use the attach or plus button, then paste a prompt and send.
  3. Refine one detail at a time. “Make the blazer charcoal” or “less contrast on the face”.
  4. Crop and upload. Results vary by app, so crop to a square if the ratio is off.

More prompts and help

The AI photo prompt generator lets you change every part of a headshot prompt. If the face still drifts, the guide to keeping your face the same covers photo quality and follow-up wording. For less formal pictures, try the retro film prompts or the couple photo prompts.