The Career Closet has jackets, blouses, shirts, pants, accessories and other items to help students dress for success in job interviews and other professional activities. Career Center staff members also help students match items to create a positive impression. Photo by Hunt Mercier/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services
UM resource provides students with free professional attire for career fairs, interviews, and more
by Jordan Karnbach
The University of Mississippi‘s Career Closet is more than just a closet; it is a gateway to opportunity and dreams.
Housed in the South Oxford Center, the Career Closet offers students the chance to create a complete professional outfit ahead of a job interview, career fair, or professional opportunity. And the best part is that the outfit—including a jacket, blouse or shirt, pants, belt, and other accessories, depending on availability—is completely free.
“We know some students may not necessarily have the means to purchase professional attire, nor do they always know what constitutes it,” said Toni Avant, director of the UM Career Center. “We can help them select wardrobe items and provide overall advice on imaging and things that will boost their confidence to make sure that they present themselves well in front of employers.”
The closet opened in the fall of 2023 on the third floor of Martindale Hall and has served more than 750 students, providing them with some 1,600 articles of professional attire.
Career Center officials hosted a ribbon-cutting for the new location on Wednesday, February 12, to give faculty, staff, and donors a chance to acquaint themselves with the resource.
Professional attire can be a critical factor in helping students launch a career, said Noel Wilkin, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs.
“If someone is not provided with an opportunity or lacks the confidence to pursue a lead to a job in their field, based on what they have or don’t have to wear to an interview, this room is a gateway to opportunities,” he said.
Wilkin compares having the right clothes to matching the part, saying that this opportunity is the missing piece.
“Every single piece matters in a puzzle,” he said. “With a missing piece, it is so clearly incomplete, and that hole is all you can see.
“The one that completes the picture is the most important one, it’s is the one that people remember, and this closet can help ensure that one simple piece doesn’t prevent our students from completing their puzzles and ensuring that their ability, their talent, their knowledge, and the things that they gained through working and living in our community of scholars will have the opportunity to land them a job.”
The best part? The outfit is theirs to keep.
“They don’t have to return anything and there’s no fee involved,” Avant said. “It’s theirs to keep for as long as they need it.”
The Career Closet is open all semester from 11 am to 3 pm Tuesdays through Thursdays. Students can book an appointment to visit through the Handshake website.
The Career Center accepts new or gently used business casual and professional clothing in all sizes at the South Oxford Center. If you’re interested in donating, preferred items include:
- Suits, jackets, pants, skirts, and dresses in neutral colors such as gray, black, navy, or khaki
- Blouses, dress shirts, and neutral-tone tops
- Belts, ties, accessories, and new socks
- Gift cards to local clothing stores to help students find specific items
Where exactly is this ?
I would absolutely love to donate but it says on their website that clothes must be professionally cleaned to donate. I have a ton of nice, professional items to donate because I recently lost weight. But if I’m donating something I don’t want to spend more money in order to donate it. Especially when I’m sure a local cleaners would probably donate their services and the organization could get a lot of clothes cleaned at once. That’s just not financially feasible for an individual but is easily feasible for a nonprofit or university.