I was asked to do a radio interview the other day. Funny thing really- a radio interview of a photographer. But the topic was the importance of photos during a job search and I was brought in as the social media expert because of my specialization in online profile pictures.

We talked about how the marketplace has changed as a result of social media profiles. In the dating world it’s clear that people with good pictures get more dates. And in the business world it’s clear that people with good pictures get more jobs. LinkedIn actually goes so far as to recommend a professional headshot, something that just a few years ago was still a concept reserved for actors and models.

But the most interesting thing that came up was a conversation about age. Deb Monroe, the interviewer, was asking about what it takes to make people look good in photos, especially older clients. And while I found that my answer was the same for all of my clients, “comfort is the key to your best photo,” the question of age seemed to linger in the air.

Why are we so afraid of getting old? Is it a media function in society that questions not only our attractiveness as we age but ultimately our usefulness? And while it’s true that often older people have a harder time finding both jobs and partners, I find myself really curious about why this is so. In a perfect world, getting older means knowing yourself better, understanding what you want and knowing how to ask for it. How on earth could that ever be a disadvantage?

Check out my interview with Marketplace Radio here:

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/04/01/mm-smile-for-the-camera-if-you-want-a-job/