A good education and a solid resume aren’t always enough to make a positive first impression. Even when you have those things, you still have to look the part.
To bridge the gap, a group of Kent State University faculty and staff members have come together to establish the Kent State Career Closet, a project to collect, organize and distribute professional attire for students in need of something suitable to wear for a job interview.
Students like Aliyah Moyé.
“It was enticing because it was free, so I wanted to look at it first,” she told News 5.
She’s a junior at the university, who just moved off campus and now she’s having to pay real bills, which has her on a tight budget. So when it came to interviewing for the president position of her organization, she says part of her secret to nailing the job was the career closet.
“To be able to get something on the fly more so was nice," she said.
And that’s the goal of the collaborative group at the women’s center on campus. Not only will they be giving students donated professional clothes for free, workers at the closet also will teach students about professionalism and how to conduct themselves in an interview.
“We need to make sure they have what they need to succeed," said Tabitha Martin, venture advisor for Launch Net, one of the groups Kent State University responsible for creating the Career Closet.
This is the first semester for the closet.
It's mainly located in the Williamson House on campus, but throughout the year, organizers plan to do pop-up shops all over campus to give every student access.
Closet organizers are currently seeking donations of new or gently used professional clothing — including blazers, shirts, blouses, skirts, pants and ties.
The project also is in need of hangers, clothing racks, storage items and gift cards or donations for laundering. The Kent State Career Closet is unable to accept donations of undergarments, shoes and any clothing item that is damaged or outdated.
