Project Report
| Oct 14, 2013
Restoring confidence to help women get a job
By Delyth Evans | Chief Executive
When Jessica (not her real name) came to Smart Works in October 2013 she had been out of work for two years and she had applied for over a hundred jobs. Anyone who has struggled to find work will understand the demoralising effect of so many job applications and so many rejections. Smart Works helped to restore Jessica's confidence and feel more positive about her chances of finding work. This is how Jessica described the support she received at Smart Works:
"My overall experience today was really positive. The fabulous team really created an upbeat, caring and encouraging service whiich I found to be exceptional and rare - a gem of a charity and I felt humble and happy at receiving the support including the dressing session, which was such fun, and the interveiw pointers were really helpful. Here's to keeping my fingers crossed. Much thanks and warmest wishes for your kind and much needed support. The interview clothes are lovely! Thank you so much."
Jessica did not succeed in her job interview but she is feeling much more positive about applying for jobs and she is hopeful of finding something soon. Smart Works helped 143 women like Jessica in September 2013.
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Jul 17, 2013
Transforming women's confidence
By Delyth Evans | Executive Director
Paula came to Dress for Success London in March 2013 after being out of work for four years. Her confidence was very low and she was struggling to cope financially. Paula was going for an interview for a job as a business administrator and she needed to look smart for the interview, as well as brush up on her interview skills. Paula was successful in her interview and she is delighted to be working again. This is how Paula described her experience at Dress for Success London: "I gained a huge amount of confidence to be surrounded by such lovely, confident and powerful women. Coming to Dress for Sucess gave me back the confidence I had lost in the last four years. It instilled faith into me that women are very supportive and that, surrounded by the right people, I could be a success again."
Paula is just one of over a hundred women who come to Dress for Success London every single month for help with interview clothes and confidence building. Over 50% of the women we support go on to secure employment within a month of their visit to Dress for Success London.
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Apr 29, 2013
Update on Dress for Success London
By Delyth Evans | Executive Director
Sophia came to Dress for Success in March. She had been out of work for over three years and was desperate for a job and struggling with very low self-esteem. Two weeks later we received a lovely thank-you card from Sophia with the following message:
"I did it! I got the job and it's all down to your lovely clothes and valuable interview skills. The service was very warm and welcoming. Thank you ladies for giving your helping hand when I needed it the most."
In the three months since we launched the Global Giving project, over three hundred vulnerable women have come to Dress for Success London for help to get them through their job interview. These women are desperate to improve their lives and to provide for their families, but they are held back by poverty and low self-esteem. At Dress for Sucess they receive a complete professional outfit of smart clothes to wear to their job interview, and one-to-one interview training to boost their confidence. Looking fantastic and with their confidence restored, they have a much better chance of securing employment. Over one in two of our clients gets the job.
This is a very simple but extremely effective way of helping disadvantaged women escape from poverty and start to build a better life for themselves and their family. Your financial donation to this project will help another woman tranform her life.
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