ASU-Beebe Career Services and business program to open Vanguard Career Closet

BEEBE — The Arkansas State University-Beebe Office of Career Services and the business program have collaborated to create the Vanguard Career Closet, an initiative that supplies clothing for interviews and other career-related events for ASU-Beebe students. The project will open in spring 2022 and will provide access to new and gently used professional attire for interviews, career fairs, student leadership events and more. The Vanguard Career Closet will be in Room 146 of the Business Building on the Beebe campus.

To be eligible to select an outfit from the Vanguard Career Closet, students will complete a short Canvas course called the Career-Readiness Academy, in which they will learn job-search strategies, how to write a cover letter and resume, how to successfully interview and how to understand an employment compensation-and-benefits package. Once students have completed the Career-Readiness Academy, they will print a certificate to redeem at the Vanguard Career Closet for a free professional outfit. Students can also continue to work with Career Services to develop a professional resume and conduct a mock interview.

“Students may return clothes to the closet for others to use but are encouraged to keep what they find in order to build their professional wardrobe,” said Jason Henry, director of Student Engagement. “The sustainability piece is also really important. We are proud to be able to help to repurpose clothes in this needed way.”

The Vanguard Career Closet is supported through generous donations from students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. Donations are currently needed to build the closet. Items needed include business suits, blouses, skirts, dress shirts, professional slacks, blazers, ties, belts, shoes, and professional bags and purses.

“As students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members rotate their closets each season and identify items they no longer wear, we would love for them to consider donating them to the Vanguard Career Closet for another student,” said Tonia Spradlin, assistant professor of business.

Anyone who would like to help support this resource may bring new or gently used professional ready-to-be-worn items to one of our drop-off locations in the Student Success Center on the Beebe campus or in the Advising and Learning Centers on the Heber Springs and Searcy campuses. For more information, contact Henry at jmhenry@asub.edu or (501) 882-4429.