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One of the resources that Career Services offers is the clothes closet, located in 203 Horace Mann. On Jan. 29, Career Services held an open house for the clothes closet, so students could see what is offered.
“We like to do the open house to kick off the semester to help students become aware of the fact that we have the closet, and the closet’s small so on most days it will just be one or two students in there at a time,” said Mindy Cloninger, director of Career Services. “On the kick-off date we bring racks of clothing into the hallways, so students can really get a better idea how much clothing we really have to choose from and spend a little bit more time pursuing the clothing in there. We like to make it more of an event with prizes, and those kinds of opportunities, so that the students are aware that the closet is available to them all semester.”
Most of the time the closet is locked, and students can ask to look in the closet, but during the open house the doors were opened.
“I just heard about it through a friend,” said Makenna Hannah, senior in nursing. “We both had never come before so we just came to check it out. I think it’s a really good thing for people that actually really need it.”
Each semester students can take three items from the clothes closet.
“Students are welcome to come in and take clothing for whatever they might need it,” Cloninger said. “…for instance, like a scholarship banquet or a class presentation, or to wear to work if they have that kind of job where they need to dress up a little bit, so it’s whatever they want to use the clothing for, and it is theirs to keep.”
The clothes closet runs off of donations from Pitt State employees.
“It’s wonderful and we really appreciate our Pitt State employees that all donate,” Cloninger said. “It’s one of those things that just kind of works. The donations come in all shapes and sizes, students come in all shapes and sizes, so it all has a way of working out.”
Along with the clothes closet, Career Services offers other resources to help students prepare for jobs.
“It helps them see what we would define as professional clothing, particularly for an interview,” Cloninger said. “Sometimes students come in and they’re not really sure what they’re supposed to wear to an interview, they can try on clothes and come in and ask us, and they do, students will ask us “do you think these fit, do you think this looks okay, do you think these match.’”
An important part of Career Services is making sure students succeed and feel confident.
“We try to help students out,” Cloninger said. “…so, the Career Services staff kind of a benefit to the shopping experience that they’ll have here we can help guide you a little bit, help students know whether or not what they’re putting together works.”
