Scroll through social media long enough and you’ll see them. The Miss World smile and face.

The kind of profile photos that make you wonder :
Am I networking, or
Swiping through a beauty pageant?

Yes! With today’s AI filters and photo apps, even my horse face can be upgraded into a Brad Pitt look-alike.

But here’s the catch : too perfect feels fake. And fake is a red flag in business.

I’ll be honest.

When I see a profile picture that looks like it belongs on a billboard, my first thought is scam.

And it doesn’t stop there.

The worse sin? No profile picture at all.
Who am I talking to then, an AI bot?

The absolute rock bottom?

When your profile picture isn’t even human.
A cat. A cockroach. A rainbow. Kobe Bryant. The Great Wall of China. A sunset. Anything but your own face.

Here’s the irony.
These are not random teenagers on TikTok.
Some of them are professionals in the business community.

That blows my mind.

Because business is about trust. And trust starts with identity.

If you can’t even put your face forward, how do you expect me to believe your words, your firm, or your service?

Think about it. How many times have you received a WhatsApp from an unknown number, or an email without a real face behind it? Nine out of ten times, you ignore it.

And rightly so.

So here’s my take.
Your profile picture is not decoration.
It is not a filter playground.
It is your digital handshake.

A genuine face, wrinkles, eyebags, and bad hair day included, beats a polished fake any day. At least I know you are real.

Question for you from old school uncle :
See a profile pic like this from my HR manager Angela. Scam or believe?