In this day and age of visuals and multimedia, even a professional photograph can make or break your resume. Unless specifically requested by the recruiter, the photograph should not be included in the resume. There are varied theories across the globe for this rule.
The initial and important reason is that a photograph on a resume puts the employer in a bad light. According to a career expert, if an employer has a photograph of you and chooses not to hire you, you may be able to file a discrimination lawsuit citing factors such as age, race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability status in hiring decisions. To avoid this situation, employers prefer not to know if you belong to one of these protected classes.
The objective of the resume is the next big thing. The resume is a tool for securing an interview, and leaving out a photograph sends the message that you want recruiters to focus on your achievements and capabilities rather than your appearance. Recruiters may spend a lot of time looking at your photo when they could be looking at the facts.
A photograph also takes up valuable space on your resume that could be used to highlight your key skills, achievements, awards, and work experiences. Finally, in this technological age, most resumes now go directly into an electronic recruitment system and are read on screen by recruiters. It is possible that by the time your resume appears on the screen, your photograph will no longer look like you.
So avoiding a photograph on your resume can help you advance to your personal interview.