Apparently, you should never wear orange to a job interview
On the hunt for a new job these days?
If you have already gotten past the sending in your CV bit, and have been called in for an interview, good for you – these are exciting times.
Preparing for a job interview, however, can be a rather stressful event, both trying to anticipate what they are going to ask you, and also trying to figure out what the heck you are going to wear. Especially these days, as most of us have long since gotten used to working from home in either or pj's or yoga pants.
Often, we try to match our outfit to the type of clothing you can imagine someone in your new workplace wearing. Is it very formal? Cool and informal? Sort of in-between?
Showing a little bit of personality can be a good thing. Too much, on the other hand, can often be a tad much for an interview situation.
Did you know there is one particular colour you should avoid wearing to a job interview? The colour orange might be all sorts of lovely and fresh in other circumstances, but in a job interview situation, you should probably opt for another hue, according to a career expert at Snagajob.
“Research over the last 50 years has helped us to understand that 75 percent of a face-to-face conversation is non-verbal,” she explains to Purewow.
“Words are used primarily to convey information, while body language, facial expressions and personal presentation are used to evaluate interpersonal attitudes and trust. While orange might be your favourite colour, on the receiving end, orange can unintentionally communicate that you are an attention-seeking, over-confident candidate.”
Need more convincing? In a 2013 CareerBuilder survey, researchers polled 2,099 hiring managers and human resource professionals across several industries and orange topped the worst colours list, with 25 percent of employers agreeing it was the worst colour to wear to an interview.
"No hiring manager wants a potential egomaniac on their hands," the Snagajob careers exert explains.
"Of course, they want someone who doesn’t need a ton of hand-holding, but they don’t want someone who’s going to step over toes or negatively impact their team because they feel like they can do everyone else’s job."
And if you’re thinking this won’t translate over Zoom, think again. Snagajob urges you to remember that you’re already working within a limited interview format. Don’t add more factors that work against you. “
She continues:
"Colour psychology affects perception, even when we don’t realize its influence, so you don’t want to give the interviewer an impression that works against what you’re trying to convey because of your orange top.”
