The psychology of color

Preparing for a job interview is tough work. You rehearse 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 color of your clothing – does this 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 colors 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 colors evoke different emotions and it is imperative when you’re interviewing that you evoke the right emotions from the interviewer.

Examples:

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

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

Orange: Similar to red. A color that stirs emotion and therefore a color I would avoid wearing in a job interview. Although orange is not seen to be as an aggressive as the color red, it is still perceived as a color that can evoke feelings of power and aggression.

Grey: My second favourite color to wear after blue. Grey gives the look of sophistication and authority. In a corporate environment the color grey is professional and portrays an individual as being confident without being intimidating.

Purple: The color of “Royalty”. The color symbolizes power, aristocracy, lavishness, and extravagance.

Black: Be careful when wearing just black to an interview. The color black is seen as a power color 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 interview. Know your audience and dress accordingly.

Good Luck!

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