Job recruiters look at resume photo first

For Korean job recruiters, the most important factor in finding employment is the applicant’s resume photograph, a survey found.

According to the poll conducted by Job Korea, an online portal for recruitment, 34.3 percent of 446 recruiters voted that a good photo at the top of the resume is the most important factor they consider.

“We seek new workers that we feel will be sincere, passionate, and have a professional mind,” Choi Chang-ho, Job Korea’s Employment Institute deputy department head said. “A resume should emphasize talent in whatever form, through the resume.”

Unlike many other countries, it is common practice to include a photograph with a resume.

While the practice in some cases leads to discrimination, one cosmetic surgeon argued that in most cases, it’s more about a professional “image.”

“People don’t necessary look for pretty faces, but rather try to leave out people that set off a negative image that could hurt for the organization,” Kang Jin-han, a cosmetic chin plastic surgeon of Seoul Jaw Clinic, said.

Work experience came in second on the survey (25.8 percent), followed by “reason for applying” (20.6 percent), and “logical writing skills” (19.5 percent) as well.