Never mind a crisp shirt or a firm handshake. If you want to impress a potential employer, put on a pair of spectacles.

Job hunters are more likely to be hired if they wear glasses to their interview, according to a study.

A third of adults think spectacle-wearers look more professional, while 43 per cent think they appear more intelligent.

And 40 per cent of those with 20-20 vision would consider wearing clear lenses if it would improve their chances of getting a job.

Another six per cent would put on glasses to feel fashionable, and nine per cent think spectacles make the wearer look more attractive, the study by the College of Optometrists found.

Psychology professor Cary Cooper, from Lancaster University, said: ‘It is not surprising that businesses want to employ intelligent staff but the idea that intelligent people wear glasses is an old stereotype that has not gone away.

‘In fact, glasses are a poor indication of intelligence because you can have bad eyesight for a number of reasons and then choose to wear contact lenses.

‘It is possible that some people have more self-confidence and change their behaviour when they put on glasses, which could in itself improve their chances at interview.’

(Read by Lee Hannon. Lee Hannon is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)