By Ayanna Alexander, Contributing Writer
Posted 1:00 PM EST, Sat., Nov. 12, 2016
While job hunting is already daunting, landing the job can be worse, especially for women.
A 2016 University of the West of Scotland lecture by Dr. Graham Scott reports women are predominantly judged by their looks, while male candidates are judged by the type of content on their resume.
With that, is there any way for a woman to get the job without the latest fashions, toned physiques, and glamour make-up and hair?
The Dress for Success D.C. organization thinks not.
“The mission of DFS is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life,” said DFSDC Executive Director Amanda Knott.
Residing in Ward 4 for three years, DFS prides itself on establishing life-long connections with the women in the community. Not only do they offer clothes for interviews and various workshops, they also reach out to the ward four women to become volunteers for the organization and give back to those in need.
By empowering women to secure poverty-free lives and afford the wardrobe required to ace the interview, their donations are “much more than simply a new outfit.”
In order to promote economic independence, Knott explained that DFS is currently creating different programs, the Going Places Network Workforce Development Program, for women to learn about themselves and their careers of choice, while networking with women just like them.
“We are looking forward to beginning our [program] this fall. We will capacitate up to 40 women and prepare them for permanent employment from the end of September to the beginning of December,” she said.
The GPN program provided sessions starting late September, on Mondays and Wednesdays, to discuss job readiness. It highlights resume customization, personal image branding, job search optimization techniques, interview skill improvement, and more.
After being employed by DFS for a little over a year, staff member Sheila A. Melvin sees the impact that the organization has had on women not only in Ward Four, but all over D.C.
