We’ve all heard the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ but first appearances do make an impact. And not just first appearances, but also little details that could affect the way another person perceives you.

Whether or not you are older or younger, married or divorced, Buddhist or Muslim, people are prone to making snap judgements about you based on their own perceptions and beliefs.

While it is a common practice in areas of Europe to include a photograph of oneself in a resume, in Australia, it is a far less common practice. A study conducted by OneShift revealed that only 14 per cent of its user base included photographs of themselves in their resume. While that number reflects only its user base, it is telling about trends in Australian hiring processes.

So why do Australians not include photographs of themselves in their resumes? The answer is rather simple. In Australia, we have a number of anti-discrimination laws covering sex, gender, race, age, disability, and sexual orientation and each state has its own set of anti-discrimination laws. In Victoria, we have the Equal Opportunity Act, 2010, which to save you some time, is a 159-page document defining discrimination. In Part 4, Division 1, it covers: