College students are not drowning in cash. This lack of financial freedom can keep students from investing in professional attire they need for jobs and internships.
The University of New Haven’s Career Closet is the solution.
The Career Closet is a service that provides students with professional attire they need, for free. These services are crucial to students, however as the student body grows, demand increases and more supply is needed.
Recognizing the importance of professional attire for students, graduate career advisor and graduate student in the clinical health and counseling program, Madison Dougherty sought to increase access to professional attire seeing the impact it has during employers interactions with candidates.
With career fairs taking place on campus, Diane Polo-Conklin, associate director for health & wellness wants to make sure there are enough resources available to students in need.
“Career fairs are a crucial part of the job search process, so we wanted to ensure we had enough resources for the Spring semester,” said Polo-Conklin.
The Career Development Center’s Career Readiness Lab is looking to help students, too, with plans to host a “career thrift shop” with items collected for use in the February career fairs.
The Career Closet also enlisted help from Adjunct Lecturer Patricia Kurpnikoff and her diversity and social justice class who helped organize and prepare the Career Closet for incoming donations.
“This project has been so important to helping all students on campus appear their very best when applying for positions with prospective employers or looking for future internships,” said Kurpnikoff. “Professional clothing is often quite expensive for college students to afford and may be hard to find in the right sizes with limited time.”
Kurpnikoff also used the opportunity to model her teachings in her Justice class.
“Since I have been teaching Diversity and Social Justice for the College of Arts and Sciences, I make it a point to model what I am teaching students about considering others and finding equitable approaches to ensure all are considered,” said Kurpnikoff. “This way, students can truly learn and apply the lessons I have taught to their own experiences.”
Kurpnikoff also wants to break stigmas that may discourage students from seeking its services.
“It is a great resource for ALL UNH students and everyone should be comfortable going there to find the professional clothing they need to save $ [money] and time,” said Kurpnikoff.
The Career Closet’s latest clothing drive lasts until Dec. 12. However, the Career Closet will begin accepting donations again from Jan. 22 until Feb. 2, which gives students the opportunity to collect any professional clothes from home during winter vacation and bring it back for the Spring semester.
For any students interested in donating clothes to the Career Closet or taking advantage of their services, it is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.to 4 p.m. Students are welcome to visit the Career Closet without an appointment during open hours.
