Recruitment Grapevine - What colour clothing should your candidates wear to interviews?

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What colour clothing should your candidates wear to interviews?

Whilst a candidates’ job experience and qualifications may be the key elements that secure a job interview, the actual process of meeting with an employer is almost entirely about your personality, your fit to the company and how you come across – especially if the job is client-facing.

This means that first impressions are extremely important; exuding confidence and personability is essential, as is dressing in an appropriate manner.

Yet choosing the right outfit can seem like a minefield all of its own. Does it depend on the company? Can you be too smart? Is casual the way to go?

Well, according to new research conducted by vaping company Blu, wearing black to a job interview could help improve your chances of being offered the role.

The study, which surveyed over 2,000 British professionals, discovered that 43% were offered a job after wearing only black clothing to interviews, whilst another 41% claimed that they either gave their best presentation or meeting of their career whilst dressed in black.

So why is black such a popular choice? Generally, it’s considered to be the most formal colour for workwear, whilst also being extremely versatile. 25% of respondents claimed that they believed candidates clad in black to be more ‘serious people’, so there’s a good chance that employers are subconsciously favouring such candidates.

Whilst finding fashionable pieces in black can keep an interview outfit stylish, it also helps candidates to keep an enigmatic edge in the process. Anna Soo Wildermuth, Image Consultant and past President of the Association of Image Consultants International, told Monster: "Clothes should be a part of who you are and should not be noticed.”

An interview is not the place to make a fashion statement, though those in the creative/design field and the very famous can be more adventurous. Everyone else should opt for a conservative look. "More and more companies are returning to traditional professional dress," Wildermuth added.

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