Winter 2018 EditionAlumni & Friends Magazine
EXCLUSIVE: Best threads
In job interviews and in life, confidence is key. One of the more effective ways to feel your best is to look your best, and that includes rocking a sharp outfit. OHIO’s Career & Leadership Development Center’s (CLDC) Career Closet supplies free professional attire for students entering interviews so they look hip and swish for that all-important first impression. It’s housed at the CLDC’s Baker University Center office. Head to toe interview ensembles are at the ready, and more than 20 students used the service last year.
Cat Hofacker, BSJ ’18 | December 18, 2017
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“Students can come in, find professional business attire, and keep it throughout the entirety of their career path,” said CLDC graduate assistant Zachary Graman, BA ’11, MED ’18.
CLDC Graduate Assistant Zachary Graman proudly stands in front of select Career Closet inventory. Graman has led the Career Closet since its inception in 2015. Photo courtesy of the CLDC
The idea to create the Career Closet was born from need, Graman said. Feedback from students during their meetings with CLDC coaches and seeing students arrive at CLDC events without professional attire planted the seed, Graman said. By giving away the clothes, the CLDC aims to remove this obstacle and reduce anxiety students already feel about making a career choice.
“Obviously, there are multiple facets of stress that come into play when trying to find a career,” he said. “If we can minimize some of that stress just by providing students with professional attire who might not have it, that’s honestly what I want to do. We want to make their lives easier.”
The Career Closet’s inventory is a treasure trove of suits, shirts, blouses, and even shoes.
The unit partners with OHIO’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion and uses the old-fashioned word of mouth to secure donations. Its inventory has nearly tripled since the Closet’s founding, Graman touted.
Cara Caven, BSH ’01, MBA ’14, provided the initial funding for the Career Closet in 2015. Her gift helped the CLDC to buy clothing racks, hangers, and even some of the original clothing items. Caven said the idea to help kick off the Career Closet was a perfect fit.
“I knew that’s what I needed when I graduated, so I wanted to make sure it was there for other students,” Caven said.
What’s next for the Career Closet? To get the word out to students. “I would love for it to be a campus-wide known service,” Graman said, “so we could tailor to all students’ needs.”
The Scripps College of Communication collected donations for the Career Closet through a faculty/staff clothing drive in November. The Career Closet has partnered with University departments to collect gently-used professional clothing donations. Photo by Madeleine Hordinski, BSVC ’20