Gordon Ford College of Business giving students the opportunity to dress for success

One thing college students have a hard time affording is professional business clothes for interviews. The Gordon Ford College of Business is helping to lessen that burden with the professional clothes closet.

On Friday morning students, staff and the WKU Sisterhood gathered together for the ribbon cutting of the new and improved closet.

"It is to help our students be their best professional self when they are going to interviews or networking events or even just their first day on the job. Many of our students we found do not know what professional clothing is and they are also not aware of how much it costs," said Monica Duvall, Internship and Peak Coordinator for the Gordon Ford College of Business.

The dean of the college also shared how important it is to dress the part and he would know, because his first job interview with the largest firm in the United States at the time didn't go as planned.

"Coming from a very small town I didn't own a suit and I dressed up in a V neck sweater, the best slacks I had and went to the interview. But it was clear that I was not dressed appropriately," said Dr. Christopher Shook, Dean.

"So it is really hard to be confident in an interview no matter your preparation when you aren't dressed appropriately, and so I did not get the job," added Shook.

The dean doesn't want any of his students to go through a similar experience. Which is why they now have a professional clothes closet where any business student can get what they need from a business dress to a suit and tie, at no cost.

"We here at Gordon Ford prepare the students academically, we can help them with their interview skills, their resume, but before the clothes closet we really just couldn't help them with clothes. Now we can," added Shook.

"I am really grateful for the clothes closet and what it can mean to our students," added Shook.

Also, the closet would be where it is today without the help of a grant from the WKU Sisterhood. Who remembered how important it is for students to be able to dress for success.

"If you don't look the part going to the job you are not likely going to get hired for the job, so just a lot of thinking back and understanding what it was like when I was first interviewing," said Michelle Wells, founding member of WKU Sisterhood.

"I do believe that you have to 'walk the walk' and 'talk the talk' and part of walking the walk is being dressed appropriately and presenting yourself the best you can," said Julie Hinson, Chair Elective and co-founding member of WKU Sisterhood.

The closet is always accepting donations so if you have a suit laying around they will gladly take it off your hands. Just contact the office at 270-745-6311 and they will set up a time to meet with you.