Taking a flattering photo is all about the basic design concept of directing the eye towards what is good and minimizing what is bad. Look at the eyes and mouth. Our eyes and mouths move, which looks perfectly normal in motion, but can look pretty bad when suddenly "frozen in time" by a photograph.
So, try to catch your subject when they aren't blinking, or talking. Also, avoid strange angles, especially the "up the nose" angle. A straight shot looks better. Keep the background simple, but do include some background. Zooming in way too close is not flattering.
You're looking good!
