Enhancv Releases Global Study on Resume Photos and Hiring Outcomes Across 23 Countries

New York, NY, October 15th, 2026, FinanceWire

Analysis of 6,684 hired professionals finds U.S. job seekers who used a resume photo were 60% more likely to land a job than the average Enhancv user

Enhancv, an AI resume builder with job search tools, today released a new study on how resume photos relate to real hiring outcomes. The research analyzed the resumes of 6,684 professionals who reported landing a job and compared them with resumes downloaded by the wider Enhancv user base in the same markets.

The headline finding comes from the U.S., the market with the strongest "no photo" norm. There, job seekers who included a photo were 60% more likely to land a job than the average user. Across 21 of the 23 countries studied, photos appeared more often on hired candidates' resumes than in the overall user base.

"The career advice industry has long relied on surveys and audit studies about what recruiters say they want," said Volen Vulkov, co-founder of Enhancv. "We wanted to see what happened when real resumes reached real decision-makers. Across thousands of people who got hired, the blanket 'never include a photo' rule doesn't hold up, especially for experienced professionals."

Key findings

• The U.S. pattern held across all 50 states, regardless of regional labor market differences.
• Photo use rises with seniority, from 15.2% among workers with under two years of experience to 37.3% among those with more than 20 years in their field.
• Photos correlate with landing a job, not with landing one faster. Photo and non-photo users both reported an average job search of 30.9 days.
• Canada, the most photo-averse market in the dataset, showed the same pattern: 17.5% of general downloads included a photo, compared with 30% of resumes from hired users.

Career Seniority and Professional Headshots

The study points to career seniority as a major factor. For mid- and late-career professionals, a headshot works as part of their professional brand and sits alongside an established record of experience.

The findings are correlational and don't show that adding a photo causes a hiring outcome. Photo norms still vary by region and employer, so Enhancv recommends job seekers match the expectations of the market they're applying in.

Methodology

The study draws on self-reported employment outcomes from 6,684 paying Enhancv users worldwide who landed jobs. Researchers compared how often photos and other resume features appeared on these hired users' resumes against the general download base, within the same geographic markets and career tiers.

The full findings are available at https://enhancv.com/blog/should-you-put-a-photo-on-your-resume-study/.

About Enhancv

Enhancv is an AI resume builder used by millions of job seekers. It combines AI writing, ATS feedback, and tailoring in one tool, with job search tools that take over once the resume is done, including the Job Application Tracker and AI Interview Help. By analyzing real job search outcomes, Enhancv brings evidence-based guidance to job seekers worldwide.

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