Guide

How to Crop a Professional CV or Profile Photo

A good CV photo doesn't require a professional photographer — but it does need the right crop. The wrong aspect ratio, a badly framed face, or an awkward background can undermine an otherwise strong application. This guide covers what to do.

Which aspect ratio should you use?

1:1 Square

LinkedIn, profile pages, avatars

Most versatile — works everywhere

4:5 Portrait

CVs and resumes (most common)

Standard for European-style applications

3:4 Portrait

Passport-style, ID photos

Common in government and official documents

2:3 Portrait

Some EU and Asian CV formats

Taller than 4:5 — check the job spec

If the job posting specifies a format, use that. Otherwise, 4:5 is the safest default for most CVs and resumes.

How to frame the crop

Face position

Your eyes should sit roughly in the upper third of the frame. Leave a small gap — about one head-height — between the top of your head and the top of the frame.

Crop at the shoulders

Cut off just below the shoulders for a CV photo. Avoid cropping at the neck (too close) or showing the full torso (too much empty space).

Center horizontally

Keep your face centered in the frame. Slightly off-center can look dynamic in a portrait, but for CV use, centered reads as professional.

Background

A plain white, light gray, or neutral-colored background looks most professional. If your photo has a busy background, a plain background app can help — but that's a separate step.