Durham College hosted its first-ever Dress for Success event this spring, designed to prepare and ease the stress of students navigating entering the workforce.
The event provided students with gently used clothing to help get them ready for upcoming job interviews and internships.
Mary Weller, the organizer of the event and alumni engagement officer at Durham College, said the event was sparked by students feeling unprepared for interviews.
“Sometimes they go and they are very uncomfortable with whatever their wearing so if we can help in any way, shape or form to make at least the presentation part of it easier and less stressful for them, then were here for it,” she said.
According to University’s Canada, 89 per cent of students feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities.
Weller said as an educator “if we can help them with one last thing that they don’t need to worry about, then I think at the end of the day it’s a good thing.”
She added it’s good knowing she’s making someone’s interview experience “that much better and that much less stressful.”
Second-year Business – Finance student Ty Jarvis is navigating the stress of finals while also dealing with the challenges of transitioning into the work world.
“I’d say just focusing on time management and focusing on what’s the most important,” is what’s getting him through, which is not what he’s wearing to the interview.
Although Jarvis was unable to attend the event, he said having the support of Durham College helps the process for getting a job.
“Meeting people at the school and the connections and relationships I’ve built in the years I’ve been here I’ll say that’s definitely helped support me.” he said.
The Dress for Success event is a part of the Career Launch – Your Passport to Success Program Durham College runs for current students and recent alumni, expanding opportunities for professional development, including job fairs, etiquette dinners, employability skills and many more tools.
Weller hopes the success of this year’s event will lead to another event next year.
She was initially concerned when starting donations because many staff members said they had already done a holiday clean out.
But with more than 300 plus donations made, she emphasizes that “staff are really behind this as well, it’s not just myself and my team,” said Weller.
With the unexpected level of donations, Weller said, “I think it may be difficult but maybe there’s a need to have more than just one a year, maybe there is one needed in the fall, and one needed in the spring.”
She said nearly 100 students dropped by the event, and only one rack of clothing remained at the end and was to be donated to Ignite Durham a local learning foundation.