China’s official media has released a series of guidelines for would-be civil servants, warning them to dress modestly.

Candidates were told they should wear “light and elegant” suits, and men were advised to get a haircut. Women were told to have clean nails, avoid jewellery, complicated make-up and make sure their hair did not cover their ears or eyes.

Competition for civil service jobs – traditionally seen as an “iron rice bowl” because of the security they offer – has intensified in recent years as the economy faltered.

An article by Banyuetan, a magazine produced by the state news agency Xinhua, laid out the requirements, saying: “Appearance and demeanour is a separate category on interview scoring sheets, requiring candidates to be ‘appropriately dressed, with good temperament and poise, and minimal fluctuations in behaviour’, accounting for five to 10 per cent of the total score.”

It stressed the importance of having the right haircut and clothing, saying candidates should give the impression that they were “clean and confident”, and suggested women should not use pale facial foundations, colourful eye shadow, fake eyelashes or decorative nails.

It also urged them to wear “light and elegant” clothes, recommending colours such as grey, camel, beige and light blue, and said candidates should avoid pointy shoes or high heels.

“The civil service interview is a setting that allows very little room for error in appearance,” the article said. It added that although first appearances mattered, interviewees still needed to answer questions properly.