Dress for Success has opened a career center for any woman looking for some help in her job search. The center is located in the Dress for Success office, on the fifth floor of the Warner Center, 332 Fifth Ave., Downtown.
Dress for Success Pittsburgh was founded in 2005 as an independent affiliate of the international nonprofit. The Pittsburgh affiliate sees about 2,000 clients a year. This year, Dress for Success will see its 6,000th client in Pittsburgh.
"Dress for Success is known for providing professional clothing to women looking for a job, or women who have just started a new job. Because the economy is what it is now, we're finding that more and more of our women need more assistance and support aside from providing them with clothing," says Leah Lizarondo Shannon, executive director. "In response to that, we started the career center."
The career center is made possible with support from Highmark and the Buhl Foundation.
Lizarondo Shannon notes that the career center is for any women--not just those who are low-income --who would like some guidance, or who don't have adequate computer or internet access at home. Other organizations provide similar career center services, she says, but they can be too broad in their approach, and can lack individualized attention. Dress for Success draws from its pool of about 250 active volunteers (professional women in a wide variety of fields) to offer one-on-one help to women looking for assistance.
The career center offers services and resources such as resume and cover letter-writing instruction, job search assistance, mock interview simulations and access to office equipment such as printers, fax and photocopy machines, and eight computers. And beginning Thurs., Feb. 3, Dress for Success will offer a series of workshops every Wednesday, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. focusing on a different career-counseling topic each week.
The center is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Services and resources are offered free of charge, regardless of employment status. Women may stop in during regular hours, but are encouraged to call first to set up an appointment. For more information, to schedule and appointment or to sign up for a workshop, contact Dress for Success Pittsburgh at 412.201.4204.
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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Leah Lizarondo Shannon, executive director, Dress for Success Pittsburgh
Photograph courtesy of Dress for Success Pittsburgh