By Parisa Burton
Opinions Editor
The College’s Career Center held its second annual Career Closet on select days from Sept. 16 through Sept. 23, welcoming students across various majors to browse diverse selections of professional development attire for only $2 each.
The four-day event offered shopping opportunities in Roscoe West Hall. It allowed students to purchase appropriate attire in time for the upcoming career fair on Sept. 25.
“It was an answer to the question several students asked, about what to wear to our annual Career Fair,” said Lynette Harris-Love, assistant director of the Career Center and coordinator of the event.
High-quality professional attire can be expensive at retail prices, making it challenging for students with financial constraints to invest in such clothing items. Others may not have access to transportation to browse local malls or second-hand stores. This event catered to both of these situations.
“It’s a great opportunity because it gives access that’s walkable and also affordable to all students,” said Jamie Crowe, graduate assistant chair for the Career Center.
The Career Center conducted outreach in the area to collect gently used donations from faculty and staff, as well as employee partners, according to Harris-Love.
“We hope to soon partner with retail stores to continue our vision,” said Harris-Love.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to The Shop, a resource offered to those who experience financial and food insecurity.
“All donations were offered to be attractive to students of all styles, sizes and styling interests,” said Harris-Love. “Just after two days of our Career Closet event, students have purchased just shy of $100 worth of clothing.”
Alan Ordonez, a junior marketing major, said clothing at retail price is significantly more expensive. He has purchased professional attire from thrift stores in the past, making him keen to check out what this event had to offer. He left with a pair of Dockers pants.
“I still would have attended if prices were higher and would expect better items,” said Odonez. “But, there are still good brands here.”
Harris-Love emphasized that the price point is not reflective of the quality, noting that many of the pieces still had tags on them.
“The price was set to be a win-win situation for all students,” said Harris-Love.
Diverse customers entered the pop-up shop, in search of professional development attire that suited their tastes and needs.
“I wanted to see the kind of styles they have and try them on,” said Joseph Figueiredo, a freshman mechanical engineering major.
While some students were exploring professional styles for future opportunities, others were seeking attire for upcoming events.
“I have an interview tomorrow so I came here to see what they have, and also for the career fair,” said Jack Fries, a freshman finance major.
Individuals who were not able to make the event can look forward to an even larger selection of offerings next fall, according to Harris-Love. Additionally, a similar opportunity is offered by the School of Education every spring, known as “Dress to Impress.” Although the clothing is tailored to education majors, the wide array of options makes it suitable for various professional needs.
College students have many opportunities at their fingertips, and professional attire can be beneficial for this purpose.
“Every student will need a professional look at some point during their academic career,” said Harris-Love. “We look forward to assisting them with achieving their desired look.”
