Dress for Success: Helping Women in Poverty Succeed in Job Interviews

As we know, first impressions count- especially in the job hunt.

By Sabrina Kooistra

Every morning, we have the opportunity to share with the world a bit of who we are through our appearance. What we wear, how we choose to accessorize, and how we choose to do hair and makeup is reflective of our individual personality, mood, goals, and sense of self. 

Susan C. Young, Positive Impact and Change expert and author of the 2017 book The Art of Preparation: 8 Ways to Plan with Purpose & Intention for Positive Impact, argues that “how we each present ourselves to the world, by way of our appearance, attire, behavior, and speech, all send messages on our behalf.”  

For twenty-something women, like myself, a wardrobe full of clothes and a drawer full of cosmetics to choose from is merely standard; we take for granted the fact that for many individuals, this not their reality. For women with little income and even less disposable income due to dependency on abusive partners, divorce, or homelessness, directing funds to beautify oneself can be seen as frivolous and potentially irresponsible. Suddenly, shaping one’s appearance to send a positive and impressive image to the world becomes a challenging, frustrating, and disheartening endeavour.

In many cases, the path to financial security and independence also rests upon personal appearance. As we know, first impressions count, especially in the job hunt. For many homeless women and women with little income, fashioning a great first impression for an interview (literally) can be a challenge, but it might be a woman’s ticket out of homelessness or an abusive relationship. 

Indeed, organizations, such as the Women’s Centre of Calgary (with the support of donations from generous individuals), help women find the right clothes and the right personal care products to give them the impression and confidence they need to get the job and, ultimately, find financial security and independence. The trouble is, when many of us think of donating to help women less fortunate than us, we neglect to think of what we can donate to empower these women: donations to make women feel beautiful and strong and capable. As Susan C. Young says, “few places are more important for dressing appropriately than the workplace, where a professional appearance is crucial,” (2017) perhaps even more so than your work experience.

Which is why YYC for Women is doing a “Dress For Success” drive from March 15th-21st to help low-income Calgarian women confidently take hold of their financial futures– and have the tools to do so. Below is a list of 4 items we are kindly asking you to donate to the Women’s Centre of Calgary:

1. Gently used business attire (eg. blazers, dress pants, blouses, scarves, heels or flats): Quite simply, these are interview must-haves. The first thing an employer sees is an interviewee’s clothes making it the first opportunity for judgment. Providing a low-income woman with an interview-appropriate outfit will show an employer that she is professional, takes the job seriously, and is eager for a job offer. 

2. Mascara: Statistics show that, in general, women who wear makeup are more self-assured in their abilities, making a tube of mascara a powerful tool. Feeling beautiful is one of the easiest ways to boost a woman’s confidence levels. Employers look for confidence in candidates and mascara is a simple and easy-to-apply cosmetic that aids women in feeling confident and professional. Indeed, beauty equals confidence, and confidence equals success.

3. Hair dye: A largely overlooked item, hair dye gives grey haired women a renewed sense of youth. For women who have been out of work for a prolonged period of time it may be daunting to re-enter the workforce and be faced with young competition. Touching up grey hair will give women the boldness and self-assurance they need to feel confident and qualified in an interview. And for women whose hair has not yet greyed, hair dye might be the touch of revitalization a woman needs to feel confident in her appearance.

4. Basic personal hygiene products: For homeless women, supplies to shower and brush teeth are not as easy to come by as they are for you and I; however, in the pursuit of employment, smelling and looking clean are essentially non-negotiable. By providing supplies such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrushes, and toothpaste, women will not have to worry about personal hygiene as a barrier to earning employment. And, even more so than makeup, feeling clean is the easiest way to build a woman’s confidence. See our personal hygiene donations list if you need some ideas.

For low-income Calgarian women seeking employment with little of their own resources, the prospect of employment may seem out of reach. We hope that through our Dress for Success drive, we can help struggling women transform their financial situations and their futures– one tube of mascara at a time. 

P.S. Be sure to tweet a picture of your donations with the hashtag #DressForSuccess!

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References

Nelson, H. (2018). Grayscale photography of four women wearing clothes [Photograph]. Pexels.com. https://www.pexels.com/photo/grayscale-photography-of-four-women-wearing-clothes-1065081/

Young, Susan C. (2017). The art of preparation: 8 ways to plan with purpose & intention for positive impact. Goodreads.com. https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/57779558-the-art-of-preparation-8-ways-to-plan-with-purpose-intention-for-posi