By Pam S. Walker
Special to NKyTribune
Women in career transition know how important it is to make a great first impression when interviewing for jobs. And having the right outfit can go a long way in boosting one’s confidence. However, buying a new suit or dress can quickly take a back seat to other critical expenses when unemployed.
Fortunately, there are organizations like the Career and Job Services (CJS) division at the Kenton County Public Library and Dress for Success Cincinnati. They provide invaluable services for job seekers, including helping ensure women look and feel their best during the stressful time of interviewing.
Through a first-time partnership, the two organizations helped over a dozen women be better prepared for interviews and networking events through a special styling event where each job seeker received a curated bag of interview-appropriate clothing, shoes, and accessories.
Held at the Erlanger Library this month, the interview styling event was organized by Linda Lane, Career Navigator for KCPL, and Kate Black, Styling Operations Lead for Dress for Success Cincinnati. Volunteer stylists with Dress for Success and the KCPL Career and Job Services team helped ensure the event’s success.
Lane knows the stresses and burdens that career transitions can take on women. She experienced it firsthand and knew how hard it was to justify spending money on interview clothing while trying to stay afloat during a job search.
Later, when she began working as a Career Navigator, she learned about Dress for Success’s mobile styling events for women in career transition while attending a Northern Kentucky Chamber Women’s Initiative networking event. She saw an opportunity to partner with the organization to provide women with personalized support and professional clothing as they prepare for interviews, career fairs, and networking events.
“In my current role, I meet many women who are balancing their job search with responsibilities at home and caring for their families. Finding the time, energy, and resources to shop for professional clothing can be a real challenge,” Lane said.
Bianca Apoian, who participated in the event, knows this all too well.
“As a mom of two special needs kids, finding time to do anything for myself is rare. The event was a great way for me to be okay with doing something for myself without feeling guilty. The clothes made me feel better about myself and will help me to feel more confident when it comes to interviewing. I even feel more confident applying for jobs,” she said.
Upon registering for the event, each woman completed a styling form that included information such as sizes, preferences, and career goals. Volunteer stylists from Dress for Success used these forms to hand-select two outfits, shoes, and accessories that met each woman’s unique personality and career aspirations.
Lane said she especially appreciated how the Dress for Success volunteer stylists gave personalized styling support to each attendee, switching out outfits, sizes, and accessories as needed.
Melissa English, a participant in the event, took notice of their dedication as well.
“I was very satisfied with the event, especially considering the Dress for Success team had to go back to their truck to select items for me to try. I had an in-person interview planned for later that week and decided to wear my new outfit because it made me feel powerful and sent just the right message.”
After receiving their bag of curated clothing, each participant completed a survey for possible future events. Lane said that the event received an overwhelmingly positive response, stating that everyone taking the survey rated their overall experience, clothing selections, and personalized styling support a 5 out of 5.
“I expected that participants would leave feeling more confident and career-ready. What exceeded my expectations was the sense of community and mutual support that women experienced during this event,” Lane said.
“Going through a career transition can really test you. It’s not easy to put yourself out there, put in time and effort for opportunities that may result in a ‘no,’ then pick yourself back up and try again. This was such a positive way to support women, reminding them that they are seen, supported, and valued,” she added.
The feedback on the event from the Dress for Success team was extremely positive, and Black said they were so impressed with all the services offered by the Kenton County library.
Black pointed out that Dress for Success Cincinnati supports organizations that would benefit from providing free interview/employment clothing to women. The mobile styling schedule opens in March and runs through November each year. Mobile styling events are held on Wednesdays and are available to groups with 10-30 participating women.
