A professional photo booth allowing students to take high-quality headshots opened Aug. 31 in the Auburn University Bookstore.
On weekdays during regular bookstore hours, students are able to take an unlimited number of professional headshots at no cost. The booth, created by a Canadian company named Iris, is fully self-service and requires no appointment.
Karlee Hall, integrated marketing and communications coordinator for Auburn University’s Career Discovery and Success, described the process to be quick, simple and convenient.
“You'll put in your Auburn email, and then it will count down just like a photo booth,” Hall said. “You get three pictures, and you can also edit them on the screen while you're there, or you can edit them as soon as you're done. With all three pictures, it immediately goes to your email.”
Alongside these features, the booth provides tips on posing for those who feel unsure of how to take a good headshot. Users also have the option of choosing either a three or six second timer.
The headshots will be sent to the student's Auburn University email for immediate use.
Although each session provides only three photos, students have access to an unlimited number of sessions. This allows students to return to the booth if they feel unsatisfied with their headshots.
“I think it's a great resource to have a free headshot,” Hall said. “Once you go to do things like career fairs and networking, it's important for employers to put a face with the name.”
Hall emphasized the importance of dressing professionally for the headshots and encouraged students to visit the Campus Career Closet.
The Campus Career Closet, located on the third floor of Mary Martin Hall, allows Auburn students to get four items of professional clothing per academic year at no cost. This service is available to alumni up to five years post-graduation.
Unlike the headshot booth, the Career Closet does require an appointment, which can be made under the “Resources” tab of the Auburn University Career Discovery and Success website.
After a career fair, it is important for students to connect with potential employers on networking sites such as LinkedIn, according to Hall. Dressing professionally for headshots makes it easier for employers to recognize a student attempting to connect on networking sites, as the student was most likely dressed professionally at the career event as well.
In a little over a week after opening, the headshot booth was utilized by over 120 students. One of those students was Joseph Weston, sophomore in political science.
Weston used the booth at the Auburn Career Discovery Expo, a networking and career discovery event hosted on Sept. 13 for students to interact with potential employers.
“I would definitely recommend it,” Weston said. “I will probably go back and take more.”
Not only did Weston utilize the headshot booth, but he also obtained his professional clothing from the Campus Career Closet.
Weston plans to use his headshots as a profile picture on networking sites such as LinkedIn and Handshake to establish a sense of professionalism.
High-quality technology is not without cost. To ensure free access for students, the headshot booth is run by corporate sponsorships on a semester basis. Norfolk Southern, an employer partner of Auburn University, is the current sponsor for the fall semester.
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Kayleigh Freeman, freshman in journalism, is a news writer at The Auburn Plainsman.
