Preparing for a job interview involves more than practicing answers and researching a potential employer. For many students, it also means figuring out what to wear, finding the time to shop for professional clothing and, sometimes, finding the money to purchase an appropriate outfit. At Ross Education’s Brighton campus, Lead Dental Assisting Faculty and Career Services Representative Brandith Tidwell saw an opportunity to help take some of that pressure off students. Her idea was simple: create a Career Closet where students can find professional clothing they can use for interviews, externships and other career-related opportunities, completely free of charge. The idea came from Brandith’s experience working with students and seeing some of the challenges they face when preparing for the next step in their careers. She recalled seeing students’ reactions when they were told they needed to dress professionally for interviews. For students who are already balancing school, work, family responsibilities and financial pressures, purchasing a new interview outfit can become one more obstacle to overcome. “You can see some of their faces when you tell them, ‘You have to dress professionally for our interviews,’” Brandith explained. “And then they’re looking at each other like, ‘We don’t have that kind of stuff.’” That stayed with her, and she began thinking about all of the professional clothing people have sitting unused in their closets.
Instead of those clothes eventually being discarded or donated elsewhere, Brandith thought they could be put directly into the hands of students who could use them. She brought a clothing rack to the Brighton campus and donated some pieces from her own closet to get the Career Closet started. She also began encouraging other instructors and staff members to look through their own closets for professional clothing they no longer wear. “There’s just too many of us women already, professional women that probably grow out of clothes or they get tired of it,” she said. “And we’re constantly just bagging stuff up and dropping it off at Salvation Army.” The response from the Brighton team has been enthusiastic, with instructors already talking about clothing they could contribute, including blazers, vests and other professional pieces. The Career Closet is designed to be an easy, no-pressure resource for students. If a student sees something they like and can use, they are welcome to take it, with no expectation that it needs to be returned after an interview. Brandith wants students to feel comfortable finding something that works for them and keeping it for future opportunities.
The collection currently includes professional clothing such as dress pants, blouses, blazers, vests and button-down shirts, with plans to expand into additional items, including shoes. Brandith is also hoping to make sure there are options for everyone, including male students. Her husband has already donated some button-down shirts that no longer fit him, and she hopes the collection will continue to grow in both size and variety as more people contribute. Although the Career Closet is still new, students have already started looking through the clothing, and Brandith believes the resource can make preparing for an interview a little easier. Instead of having to find an extra few hours to shop or spend $10, $20 or more trying to put together an appropriate outfit, students can look through the Career Closet and find something they can use. “I really just think the goal is to help them succeed without having to put too much pressure on the event,” Brandith said. “If it can alleviate a little bit of that stress so they can then just concentrate more on the interview itself and preparing themselves for that, kind of what I was thinking.”
The initiative has quickly become a campus-wide effort. Staff and instructors at Brighton have embraced the idea and are excited to contribute items from their own closets. Brandith said the response has been especially encouraging because the Career Closet does not require monetary donations. Instead, it gives people an opportunity to pass along clothing they already own and no longer use. The rack is currently located in a central area of the campus where students regularly walk by, making it easy for them to stop and look through the available clothing. As the collection grows, Brandith and the Brighton team already have plans for a larger space. There is an additional room available on campus that could eventually become a dedicated Career Closet, with additional racks and shelving for sweaters, bulkier clothing and shoes. Brandith hopes to eventually have at least three full racks of clothing available for students at Brighton.
While Brandith is excited about what the Career Closet can become at Brighton, her vision extends beyond one campus. She hopes the idea will inspire other Ross campuses to create their own Career Closets and find ways to connect students with professional clothing in their own communities. She believes there is an abundance of gently used professional clothing that could benefit someone who is preparing to enter the workforce. A blazer that has been sitting untouched in someone’s closet, a pair of dress pants that no longer fit or a button-down shirt that is no longer being worn could become exactly what a student needs for an upcoming interview. Even Brandith’s own experience with hand-me-down clothing helped inspire the idea. “Some of the best pieces I’ve ever acquired were a hand-me-down,” she said.
For Brandith, the Career Closet is ultimately about giving students another resource as they work toward their careers. What started with one rack of clothing at the Brighton campus has already become a collaborative effort among staff and instructors, with the potential to grow into an even larger resource for students. By providing professional clothing at no cost, the Career Closet gives students one less thing to worry about as they prepare for interviews, externships and other career opportunities. Brandith hopes the idea continues to grow at Brighton and eventually inspires similar efforts across the Ross community, giving students the opportunity to take their next career step feeling prepared, confident and supported.