When entering the professional world, first impressions are everything. They can be the difference between rejection or approval. Following the Resume Review that kicked off Career Week, the Career Closet took place on Tuesday, September 27th.
The way prospective employers view applicants plays a big part in the selection process. Can they visualize you working for them? How well do you carry yourself? Whether it be for career fairs, job interviews, or meetings, the Career Closet has it all. Located on the 2nd floor of the James L. Bolden Student Union Building, students can visit and have access to suit jackets, blouses, pants, blazers, ties, and other accessories. Free of charge, this is one of the many means by which students are supported on their path to success.
Michael Harper works in the Career Services Department at Alcorn State University (ASU). As a specialist in Career Development, he is able to help students find the tools that they need to go out and start their careers.
Harper states, “Not only does the Career Closet supply students with business apparel, but it’s also a teaching tool. It teaches students what colors are appropriate, how to tie a tie, how to tie a bowtie, what particular shoes they need to wear, or what particular suit.”
The significance behind the Career Closet is more than the clothes. It allows students to leave with insight that will help them later on in life. The clothes just exemplify the tools for success.
Students are also able to gain knowledge about business attire and career services by working at the Career Closet. A Psychology major from Tupelo, Mississippi, Elantra Grayson, loves seeing how the enterprise positively impacts students. “I like to work here because I like to see the joy that students have that come in and want to be successful and are able to come here for the Career Fairs we have at ASU,” stated Grayson.
The eagerness to see students dressed professionally and utilizing the school’s resources is something that the students and staff that work in the Career Closet share. As Alcorn completes another Career Week, the importance of this institution cannot go unrecognized. Open year-round, students always have the opportunity to dress how they want to be perceived.
