Launching careers – one suit at a time
With recent college graduates facing an arduous campaign to win that first job, a new nonprofit is getting them outfitted for the mission ”“ with an eye on helping military veterans as well.
In mid-November, Save a Suit Inc. coordinated the distribution of free work attire to some 200 students at the University of Bridgeport, handing out in all 300 men”™s and women”™s suits, ties, belts and other accessories.
Scott Sokolowski, a recruiter with the Shelton-based MetLife affiliate Barnum Financial Group, founded Save a Suit last year, saying the inspiration hit him after querying a recent graduate on why he had not worn a suit to an interview and learning the graduate could not afford one.
Never having aimed to start a nonprofit, Sokolowski is now confronted with multiple recruiting challenges: first and foremost, identifying the next school to get outfitted, with the selection clearly influenced by supply and demand. For instance, Sokolowski said he is considering Westchester Community College in New York ”“ a daunting prospect given the school”™s population of 12,000 students.
In addition to filling out Save a Suit”™s inventory, Sokolowski is also busy raising cash and identifying in-kind donors. To ready for the University of Bridgeport drive, Colonial Cleaners in Ridgefield cleaned and pressed 200 suits ”“ a major contribution from a small business ”“ and Sokolowski said in addition to cleaners a temperature-controlled storage facility would be an important addition to the program.
Drives to date have been held at Barnum Financial and Scinto Corporate Park where the company is located, as well as at the law firm of Bai, Pollock, Blueweiss & Mulcahey, Bank of America Corp., Coldwell Banker and Merrill Lynch.
At the University of Bridgeport, a small army of area companies showed up to help students get fitted for the coming slog of interviews ”“ not to mention fellow students, with members of UB”™s fashion merchandising program sharing tips on how to spiff up to impress.
“There was one student who walked in ”“ he wasn”™t very well shaven and he had a shirt and jeans and very, very dirty sneakers,” recalled Jessica Ewud, a Save a Suit staffer. “When that student tried on the suit, his face lit up.”
Other area companies shared tips on how to best negotiate the application process, according to Leslie Geary, a UB spokeswoman, including mock interviews with recruiters from Hartford-based Aetna Inc. and Toys R Us. On hand to review resumes were Stamford-based Pitney Bowes Inc. and Walmart, while Mike Roer of the Fairfield-based Entrepreneurship Foundation helped out with creating business cards and other advice.
The National Society for Leadership and Success campus club hosted workshops on how to best network and staff from Ann Taylor Loft in Fairfield reviewed business etiquette. Robyn Greenspan, a 2007 UB graduate, taught students how to manage their profile on social networking sites, with Greenspan editor-in-chief at Norwalk-based ExecuNet and a blogger at HuffingtonPost.com. Image Marketing Consultants, a Southington-based marketing and PR firm for businesses, also helped students in crafting an overall image.
With Sokolowski having served six years in the U.S. Air Force as well, he plans to launch a similar program next year for military veterans transitioning to the civilian workforce.
First things first.
“We have to sit down and figure out where to go next,” Sokolowski said. “We do eventually want to make this a national program, but we can”™t without the sponsors to back it.”