I’m a huge believer in being authentic. Most employers and networkers want to see who YOU are, not what AI believes you are. For the purposes of this post, I took my ‘business pose’ down in favor of who I really am, what I really look like, and what settings you’ll find me in — my own real life.

We are bidding goodbye to 2025, and hello to 2026. While a lot of RTO (Return to Office) is taking place, most work has settled on a hybrid setting. Suits, ties, and for the ladies, dress attire is not a reflection of workplace attitudes and personalities.

We define who we are, not the entity who employs us. I see so much AI enhanced profile photos and am automatically turned off by that user. Authenticity is everything —it’s the soft skill that’s missing in today’s workforce.

Hard skills can be taught. Any position will have to end up teaching you their methods, strategies, and toolsets anyhow so a prospective employee can’t even pretend to bring that to the table, even if they’ve used the software package or have used the programming language before.

Groupthink is the worst possible mindset that forms around communities, especially those online and in workforce. Because we’re expected to be a certain way — whether coming from our peers or coworkers, doesn’t define our personalities or our work ethic.

Before you think about updating that headshot, keep something in mind: does it project authenticity? Does it relay who are really are? Sooner or later, the real you will come out at the workplace, and the truth is easier to keep up than a lie.

Michael Martinez is a freelance strategic analyst and writer with experience in non-profit, government, and data. He has degrees in business management and intelligence management. He is also an AmeriCorps VISTA alumnus. You can read more of his work at michaelmartinez.co.

This was originally posted as a LinkedIn article on December 20, 2025.