Story by Destinee Marking, Staff Writer
Photos
by Rhiannon Branch/The News
Students in need of professional clothing can now utilize Career Services’ Career Closet located in the Oakley Applied Science Building.
Students can look through a variety of business professional and business casual clothing items and may obtain one outfit per semester to permanently keep.
Matthew Purdy, director of Career Services, said the office began gathering clothing nearly two years ago and stored it away.
Purdy said he and a Career Services intern set out to see what they could do with these resources, so they decided to set up the Career Closet.
“It’s a really great service for all kinds of students,” Purdy said. “It gives them an opportunity to not only come in and check clothing out, but also in a very low cost way. It’s a good way for them to just start their own professional clothing wardrobe.”
Hiring managers can make their decisions within the first couple seconds of an interview, so Purdy said how individuals dress is critical.
“We even recommend, for phone interviews, students dress up because you will perform better if you are dressed professionally,” Purdy said.
To donate, Purdy said community members, faculty, staff, employers and students can contact Career Services.
“I never dreamed I would have students asking to donate things,” Purdy said. “That’s so gratifying. It just shows the nature of our students.”
Caroline Wells, senior from Gilbertsville, Kentucky, and a Career Services intern, said the main goal is to offer an opportunity to students who cannot easily acquire appropriate clothing for interviews, career fairs and other major events for a variety of reasons.
“It’s here for students who may not be able to afford professional clothing, and we also help recommend what is professional,” Wells said.
Clothing guidelines and tips for different situations can be found on the Career Services webpage.
Although they have about 500 items of clothing currently, Wells said the Career Closet is in need of shoes and clothing in a variety of sizes.
On Feb. 21, the Kindness Committee will be accepting clothing donations from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Curris Center.
Students may visit Career Services between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday to browse the Career Closet.