The Career Fair Confidence Cheat Code
By Alyssa Chaffee
When preparing for a career fair or interview, feeling confident in your clothing choice can be a consistent struggle for students. Dressing professionally can seem daunting, but the CCO has a cheat code for you! By following the guide below, you can feel confident and professional walking into the next step of your career journey.
The Center for Career Opportunities (CCO) offers a free service for students called the Career Closet. The CCO's Career Closet offers students who do not have access to professional attire the opportunity to find an entire professional outfit appropriate for career fairs or interviews. Students are allowed up to one outfit per academic year at no cost. Added bonus? It’s theirs to keep. With the click of a button, making an appointment through Boilerconnect is the first step to walking into your next professional situation feeling on top of the world! (Disclaimer! We cannot guarantee size, style, or quantity.)
It's this easy: After you make your appointment, you show up to Young Hall 132, and are then greeted by the receptionist where you will check in for your appointment. You are sent upstairs to the 2nd floor where either Perry Pappas, the Career Closet Intern, or one of our Peer Assistants will assist you. Let’s say that it’s Perry leading your appointment. He will direct you to the closet where you will be able to browse and select items you wish to try on. You will then be able to take these items to your assigned changing room. Finally, you return to Perry where you will be given a bag and hanger for your items, and you are good to go!
Perry describes that his favorite part of working at the Career Closet is seeing the smile on the faces of those who needed a little extra help (which is something we all need from time to time). The satisfaction of getting that first piece of your closet, that extra little pep in your step, is so important to your professional journey, and the Career Closet makes it easy.
When you come to your appointment at the Career Closet, you may also be greeted by one of our Peer Assistants! These Peer Assistants help with the Career Closet by taking appointments and helping organize the closet. Peer Assistant Emme Walschager describes the Career Closet as a “great resource” with a “relaxed environment.” She also described that when you come in to get your outfit, there is absolutely no judgment. Emme said, “It’s hard to expect for everyone to always have access to professional clothes,” and that’s where the Career Closet comes in!
Since the Career Closet’s establishment in September of 2014, the CCO has made it a priority to provide help for those who are under-supported or who don’t have access to the same resources as others. If you are in need of a new blazer, a sleek tie, or even an entire professional outfit, the CCO Career Closet is here. However, the closet is entirely donation based, so specific styles or sizes are not guaranteed. That first outfit is always the hardest, and getting that along with direction from our incredible team will set you on a journey you will take with you the rest of your career. We hope to see you soon!
If you are interested, students, faculty, and staff are also able to donate new or lightly used professional clothes during the CCO Career Closet Clothing Drive from Monday, December 4th through Friday, December 8th, 2023! The smile on that student’s face is worth so much more than that suit hanging in the back of your closet (which you know you will never wear again.) Put it to good use! To stay up to date on drop-off locations, follow us on social media or email askcco@purdue.edu.