College hosts first career closet fashion night – The Inquirer

Diablo Valley College’s Career and Transfer Center will host its first Career Closet Fashion Night on Thursday, September 29.

Held at 5:30 p.m. in the DVC Campus Commons, the event is a fundraiser and fundraiser for the college’s Career Closet, which provides professional attire for disadvantaged students entering the job interview process.

“We’ve been working hard to make sure this service is recognized on campus,” said Marina Varela, interim senior program coordinator for the DVC Career and Transfer Center.

Varela emphasized that the professional wardrobe is now gender-neutral and has a need for larger clothing, and said she sees a need for the service.

“We’ve been working all summer on the structure of the program,” she added.

Career and Transfer Services program coordinator Yenni Galvez echoed Varela, saying the biggest goal is to “get students to know about this program.”

“It’s all about building confidence,” Galvez said.

The Career and Transfer Center helps students set up tailored mock interviews for the positions they are interested in, and provides feedback on their application. Varela advises students to arrive at mock interviews with their resumes, cover letters and notebooks — and be prepared to ask questions of their potential employer.

She added that DVC students who need clothes from the work closet can visit as often as they like and keep the clothes of their choice. Students have the freedom to choose clothes for events such as career fairs, conferences and seminars.

However, following the second visit to the career closet, students must meet with the senior program coordinator to confirm their progress for a job interview, Varela said.

“Our service is open to all DVC students. We will never expel a student,” she added.

Tickets for the fundraising fashion show can be purchased here on Eventbrite. Prices range from $30, $50 and $75 for general admission tickets to a VIP admission ticket that includes VIP seating at the event. Ticket proceeds will be donated to the Career Closet. As of September 19, the fashion show has collected $530 in funds, six out of a hundred tickets have been sold.

The actual show is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., followed by a half hour of drinks, appetizers, and music.

Varela said Fashion Night is a great opportunity to “showcase” the variety of clothing available to students.

“The event is really about motivating everyone and showing interest on campus.”