Kent State Career Closet

Kent State University junior Stephanie Newton successfully juggles a tough schedule that includes taking classes in hospitality management, while raising four children and working several campus dining services jobs.

It is no surprise that she does not have the resources to build the professional wardrobe needed to successfully interview for internships that will bring her closer to her dream of owning a restaurant.

That is where the Kent State Career Closet filled the gap for Ms. Newton.

The Career Closet collects, organizes and distributes professional attire that has been donated by faculty, staff and alumni to help university students dress for the success for which their education is preparing them.

This free boutique in Kent State’s Women’s Center provides students and alumni with up to three items of clothing every semester, and the only requirement is to show their FLASHcard. 

Since the Career Closet launched in March in the lower level of Williamson House, 55 student shoppers have received professional clothing and almost 30 donors have contributed, said Alicia Robinson, assistant director of the Women’s Center.

When Ms. Newton had an interview to work in the area of student registration for Destination Kent State last spring, she went to the Career Closet and found a navy-blue jacket and skirt, a light blue blouse and kitten heels.

She aced the interview and got the job.

“When I applied for the position for Destination Kent State, I saw how they were dressed and I wanted to mimic that,” Ms. Newton recalled. “The supervisors that interviewed me were amazed by my transformation because they are only used to seeing me in my dining services attire. To say that my confidence went out of the roof is an understatement.”

The Kent State Career Closet is a collaboration between the Women’s Center, LaunchNET Kent State and Career Exploration and Development. Tabitha Martin, venture initiatives advisor at LaunchNET Kent State, said the idea was conceived last year at the grand opening of the Women’s Center when someone said they have career clothing that they no longer use.

“We were in a great big space,” Ms. Martin said. “I said ‘Wouldn’t it be a nice thing to have career clothing for students here? I roped in Alicia (Robinson) and brought Career Exploration in. Instead of talking about it, I said ‘Let’s do this’ We were shocked. There were alums calling and emailing and asking if they could ship clothing.”

When students live in jeans, leggings and sweats, not many of them have $50 to buy a blazer. There is no stigma to come to the Career Closet, Ms. Martin said.

“Anyone can come and shop and get three things. If the clothes don’t work, come back and swap them out. We keep things modern and professional.”

The need for students to have access to professional clothing has been a conversation between Kent State departments that serve students and departments that can provide a venue of support, said Patty Robinson, director of TRIO Upward Health Professions & Math Science in Kent State’s Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. She said when eInside announced the collaboration, she shared the new resource with Upward Bound alumni.

“This initiative is one way that the university is placing students first,” Ms. Robinson said. “The donation process is multi-faceted – my donation not only supplied the closet, but it allowed me to open up my closet and invite someone in. It is more than clothing, it is a mindset.”

Nichole DeCaprio, associate counsel in Kent State’s Office of General Counsel, said donating to the Career Closet is an easy way to invest in the success of the university’s students.

“Professional clothes can be expensive, but they go a long way in making a good impression on potential employers,” Ms. DeCaprio said. “If my contribution can help make a student’s job search a little easier, then I’m happy to do it. The Women’s Center is providing a great resource for students, and I would encourage other faculty or staff to consider donating.”

Ms. Robinson said the Career Closet is in need of small and curvier sizes, as well as clothing racks for pop-up shops, such as the one that was held in September at the Internship, Co-Op & Career Fair. And one of its long term goals is to find a sponsor for dry cleaning.

And recently, the Career Closet started a small section of suit jackets, ties and shirts for men.

“It’s coming together beautifully,” Ms. Robinson said. “It’s creating a buzz. It’s coming full circle. People are saying, ‘Oh, I got this from the Career Closet and I wore it to a job interview. I got the job.’”

The Career Closet is one of several new programs making a difference in the lives of students and alumni under the university Career Exploration and Development.

For more information on the Career Closet and other programs to help students succeed in the business world and beyond, visit www.kent.edu/womenscenter/career-closet or call 330-672-2360.

University employees collect, organize and distribute professional attire for students in need of appropriate clothes for job interviews

A good education and a solid résumé aren’t always enough to make a positive first impression. To bridge the gap, a group of Kent State University employees 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.

Tabitha Martin, venture initiatives advisor at LaunchNET Kent State, said the idea came up during a conversation at the grand opening reception for the Women’s Center at Williamson House last year.

“You can’t go on an interview if you don’t have anything appropriate to wear,” Martin said. “Someone at the gathering said, ‘I have all these clothes I don’t wear anymore, and we have this great, new Women’s Center.’ So we said, ‘Let’s just do it.’ We have such a huge campus full of faculty and staff, who I am sure would be happy to have a vehicle to contribute and help the students like this.”

The Kent State Career Closet is housed in the lower level of the Williamson House on the university’s Kent Campus. But the free boutique also will host pop-up shops around campus to raise awareness and take its inventory to a wider audience.

Martin said she and her Kent State colleagues – Lori Bodnar, senior advancement officer in the Division of Institutional Advancement; Alicia Robinson, assistant director of the Women’s Center; and Kristin Williams, executive director of Career Exploration and Development – were motivated to open the Kent State Career Closet by memories of their own college-age wardrobes: heavy on sweatshirts and sneakers, light on suits and briefcases.

“This isn’t something students are going to ask about,” Martin said. “It’s just kind of a gut feeling we’ve all had.”

The founders of Kent State Career Closet envision a welcoming place where anyone with a FLASHcard (Kent State’s identification card) – student or employee – can go to find pieces of clothing to round out a professional ensemble. Shoppers will be asked to sign in, but there will be no requirement to prove financial need.

Robinson, who is an alumna of the School of Fashion Design and Merchandising, said she hopes to engage the Fashion School in the Kent State Career Closet project. She said students could gain valuable experience by designing displays, organizing style shows and repairing and altering clothing.

Williams said the Kent State Career Closet also will offer tip sheets with advice for boutique patrons about how they can best present themselves to potential employers and information about other career-preparedness resources on campuses.

“We want to make students feel comfortable so they can come in, pick some clothes and feel comfortable going to career fairs and expos and job interviews,” Bodnar said. “We want them to know there is no stigma.”

Kent State faculty and staff members dedicate themselves to helping students obtain the knowledge, skills and experience they need to achieve their career goals. By supporting Kent State Career Closet, they can help give students the additional boost they need, Martin said.

“We have to reinforce the idea that college isn’t just about preparing you skill-wise for being out in the career world,” Martin said. “All of these other pieces go into it – knowing how to dress and act and how to present yourself in general.

“As much as we would love for no one to ever be judged by how they look, the fact is, how you look when you walk into an interview makes a difference,” Martin continued. “There are so many of these soft skills that go around what students learn in class to help them be successful when they leave here or even maybe while they are here.”

The Kent State Career Closet is 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.

All donations will stay within the Kent State community, Robinson said. Anything that is deemed unsuitable for the Kent State Career Closet will be donated to other local nonprofits.

In observance of Women’s History Month, the Kent State Career Closet will launch a Donation Drive on March 20-24. Details about donation drop-off times and locations will be available at the Kent State Career Closet website. 

Sponsors of Kent State Career Closet include Kent State’s Women’s Center, LaunchNET Kent State and Career Exploration and Development.

For more information about the Kent State Career Closet, visit http://ksucareercloset.strikingly.com or email careercloset@kent.edu. 

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Media Contacts:
Tabitha Martin, tmarti51@kent.edu, 330-672-6783
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595