If you walk in the downstairs of Nesvig House, neatly organized clothes of tops and trousers come into view. This Career Closet offers PLU students and alumni who graduated within the past year a place to choose professional clothing for interviews and internship.
Maria Carrington, a faculty member of the Department of Social Work, initiated the Career Closet after hearing that students struggled to access professional clothing when they needed it. “It would be nice if we had a resource for students to come and grab stuff that they needed.” Carrington said.
The idea began when Carrington realized she had business suits in her own closet that she no longer wore. What started to support social work students preparing for internship placements grew into a broader campus resource.
Most of the clothing donations came from alumni or PLU faculty. Carrington reached out through her professional network and placed donation requests in the faculty newsletter. As donations expanded beyond professional attire, the Closet opened to students seeking clothing more generally.
The Carer Closet started last spring on the third floor of Xavier Hall, which is a location that proved difficult for students to know and find. Carrington expressed that accessibility gradually became an issue. Carrington used to struggle with advertising and got a lot of emails from people asking whether she was still operating the Career Closet.
To improve visibility, the Career Closet was relocated to Nesvig Alumni Center in collaboration with Alumni and Student Connections. During J-Term, Alumni and Student Connections’ members moved the collection to its new space.
Heather Ellis, the Career Coach with the Career Services, shared future donation efforts will focus on both clothing and financial contributions: “We’re hoping to continue that pattern of reaching out to alumni who have items that they don’t need any more,” Ellis said. She added that future efforts may also focus on specific needs. “As we get more information on student demand for what kind of items students are needing, we can put out asks to the community for those specific items, but also for financial contributions so that we can expand our offerings and make sure that all sizes, across all styles and preferences may eventually be available.”
While the Career Closet could be a symbolism of the first step to the business world, “In terms of what I hope students get out of the Career Closet is not only access to clothing but just knowing that we are here to support all students in their career journey,” Ellis said. “If you come in to pick up a blazer, we hope that you also get some feedback on your resume or on your interview preparation, because that’s going way further than any outfit you can wear.”
The Career Closet is intended to be a long-term resource on campus in Nesvig Alumni Center. Carrington added that the Career Closet serves students beyond professional preparation. Career Closet offers a resource similar to the campus food bank, and it helps students feel comfortable and confident whether they need clothing for interviews or everyday use.
Ellis said that the Career Closet team hopes to gather student feedback as the resource continues to grow in order to better understand what items and support are most needed. Students can access the Career Closet in two ways: by dropping in to browse independently or by scheduling an appointment through Handshake to receive guidance from career coaches on selecting appropriate attire for interviews or the workplace.
For more information, please visit the Lute Career Closet website: https://www.plu.edu/alumni-student-connections/career/closet/.
