Dressed for Success, New Career Closet Created with Care
For many community college students who are entering the workforce for the first time, searching for the right outfit for that first interview, or searching for essential articles of clothing once employed, can be somewhat of a challenging task – even more so, when the task creates a financial burden, and the student has yet to secure employment.
Fullerton College’s Career Center is helping students alleviate some of that stress and financial burden with the launch of the new Career Closet, now called “The Hanger.” The Hanger, located in Room 2026 is not only a warm and welcoming, gender-inclusive space for picking up a few key pieces of professional clothing, it’s also a place where students can connect with Career Center staff and learn how to effectively prepare for the workforce, said Career Center Interim Coordinator Rabia Khan.
“The Hanger is one of the newest services in our center that helps students with their professional development journey by offering access to free professional apparel for presentations, career fairs, and interviews,” Khan said. “We want The Hanger to alleviate some of the barriers students may experience when entering the world of work.”
Khan said the Career Center team put a lot of love and care into creating an inviting and hip space where students can bring their friends and have a fun shopping experience.
The space is filled with all types of clothing and accessories from blazers, pants, dresses, shoes, handbags, ties, scarves, and even toiletries. The closet operates on a point system where each student who is enrolled in at least 0.5 units has six points associated with their student ID number at the beginning of the semester. When the student shops, each article of clothing or accessory item costs one point and points are deducted from the total. They can earn an additional four points during the semester by bringing in friends/other students to reach a maximum total of 10 points for the semester.
Carefully displayed along two walls of clothing racks, Khan said the team worked hard to create a gender-inclusive display of clothing. “The clothes are not organized by gender, but rather, organized by type, color and size. For example, we have all of the blazers and pants lined up by size and color, not by men’s or women’s. This makes the shopping experience inclusive for everyone,” Kahn said.
The Hanger also has a private dressing room with an organizational sizing chart and is set up with a trendy sitting area, cute artwork and décor, and several full-length mirrors.
“I am proud of how far we’ve come in developing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all of our students,” said Professional Expert Jordan Lowery. “I hope that students will gain a sense of confidence in themselves through the help that they get at The Hanger.”
Lowery shared that the project, which landed at the Career Center last spring, has been a labor of love that has taken many hours and teamwork over the summer to inventory donations, clean and press clothing, organize racks, and create an inviting space for students.
“It’s all been so exciting, and we already have ideas for where the space could go in the future,” Lowery said.
Kahn said the center is hoping to collaborate with other departments and academic divisions on campus to offer more resources and support to students. For example, the Career Center is planning to seek support from the Cosmetology Department to provide free haircuts to students; would like to see student designs from the Fashion Department at The Hanger, and could see a potential collaboration with the Photography Department to provide LinkedIn headshots. For now, students are simply invited to come view the space, shop for clothing, and help spread the word about this exciting resource.
The Hanger will host a grand opening on Tuesday, Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 3 – 5 p.m. in Building 2000, Room 2026. For more information visit the Career Closet website.
