Campus Career Closet helps students dress for success

The Auburn University Career Center, Auburn Cares and the Student Government Association collaborated to bring students the Campus Career Closet in order to provide students with free professional attire for interviews, career fairs, networking events and even the workplace.

The Campus Career Closet inventory includes suits, blazers, skirts, blouses, shoes and more. All items in the closet were donations and are free to any and all students.

The Career Center had help from two campus organizations, Auburn Cares and SGA, as well as clothing companies Belk and Loft.

Addye Buckley-Burnell, assistant director of career development, started developing the idea for the closet about five years ago when she began her career at Auburn.

Buckley-Burnell contacted Auburn Cares to get them involved with the program. They hastily agreed since helping students is the nature of what they do, and Buckley-Burnell worked closely with Katherine Hettinger, manager at Auburn Cares, to get the project going.

“Partnering with the Career Center was a no-brainer for us,” Hettinger said. “There has been conversation about the need for a professional career closet in the past, but this was the first opportunity for us to work with another office to get the project off the ground.”

Buckley-Burnell also reached out to SGA, who was researching and working on a similar idea at the time. David Facteau, executive vice president of initiatives, said SGA began research for this project over a year ago when 2016-2017 Miss Auburn, Madison Rolling, brought a similar campus closet idea to them, leading them to climb on board as well.

“Rolling’s platform, along with SGA’s goal, is to create a space for students who may not have means to professional clothing for interviews, jobs, etc. and create a way for them to obtain these necessary items,” Facteau said.

The organizations worked together to create a model of the closet, build community partnerships and organizing clothing drives.

Belk donated the racks used in the closet, and Loft donated a mannequin as well as provided coupons for students who cannot find what they need in the closet.

All of the clothes displayed in the closet were donated. The Campus Career Closet runs strictly on a donation basis and is accepting donations at any time at the Career Center office.

The goal is to make it accessible to any and all students, with little restrictions.

“SGA surveyed 400 students and found that 73 percent of students surveyed said that they would use this closet if it were made available to them, and we are thrilled that these students will have the opportunity to use this closet,” Facteau said.

The closet is located on the third floor of the Career Center in Mary Martin Hall. Students who wish to receive clothes from the Campus Career Closet can do so by making an appointment online via Handshake.

“Students may take up to four pieces per school year. There are no restrictions as far as majors or colleges, anyone is welcome,” Buckley-Burnell said.

The closet is not a needs-based program. Students do not have to prove anything, the closet is inclusive and available to all students because the Career Center, Auburn Cares and SGA all believe that providing these clothes to students is crucial for their professional careers.

“Students should never be limited in their professional development, and we believe that this closet will be a great step forward in preparing and equipping students to succeed in the job market. We are thankful for the initiative of Student Affairs along with the Career Center in making this idea a reality,” Facteau said.

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