Wearing the right colour to your interview: Choose blue avoid red

Preparing for a job interview is tough work. You practice answers to common questions, decide on what clothing to wear and ensure you have done an adequate amount of research into the company. But what about the colour of your clothing – does it matter? Is wearing a white shirt with a blue tie going to help you get the job over wearing a blue shirt with a black tie?

Studies have shown that the colours you decide to wear in an interview can actually make a difference. In the competitive world we live in you need to ensure that you take every advantage you possibly can.

Different colours evoke different emotions and it is imperative when you’re being interviewed that you evoke the right emotions in the interviewer. Let’s take a look at some examples.

Blue

Words that describe the colour blue include: trust, loyalty, wisdom, peace. These are exactly the type of feelings you want to be portraying in your interview. Blue is a calming colour (just think of the Ocean and sky) and sends out a signal to the interviewer that you are indeed honest and sincere. Studies have shown that wearing the colour blue to an interview will increase your chances of getting hired more than any other colour.

Red

In contrast to the colour blue, the colour red stirs emotions more than any other colour. Red is a strong colour, very emotional, an extreme colour that in an interview scenario can work against you. Unlike blue which has a calming effect, the colour red is a fiery colour (the colour of love and passion), and can be an intimidating colour for the interviewer.

Orange

Orange can have a similar effect to red.  A colour that stirs emotion and therefore a colour you should avoid wearing in a job interview. Although orange is not seen to be as aggressive as the colour red, it is still perceived as a colour that can evoke feelings of power and aggression.

Grey

Similar to blue, grey is a good colour to wear when it comes to interviews. Grey gives the look of sophistication and authority. In a corporate environment, the colour grey is professional and portrays an individual as being confident without being intimidating.

Purple

Purple is the colour of “Royalty”. The colour symbolizes power, aristocracy, lavishness, and extravagance.

Black

Be careful when wearing only black to an interview.  Black is seen as a power colour and can be viewed as threatening. Wearing black outfits can portray an individual as being powerful or even arrogant. Black is also associated with negative implications such as death, sin, and fear.

Just remember that first impressions count a lot when you go to an interview. Know your audience and dress accordingly.

This article is written by Gavin F. Redelman, the author of Interview Secrets Exposed. Gavin is the founder of RedStarResume, a company that has successfully written hundreds of professional resumes for candidates across the globe. From the student or entry level position to the CEO, their unique, custom-made resumes are written specifically to match the goals and desires of their clients and to help them land jobs.