Walk into an interview and how long does it take to decide whether you get the job? Thirty seconds. Yep that’s right, you haven’t even opened your mouth.

So it’s really important to look right, and that’s where Fitted for Work comes in.

Founded by Renata Singer and Marion Webster in July 2005, Fitted for Work is a not-for profit organisation providing disadvantaged unemployed women with clothing, presentation advice and interview skills.

Volunteers work with clients to ensure they have the right outfit for their interview and in the process boost confidence and skills so that their job prospects are enhanced.

The women who come to Fitted for Work face major obstacles in getting jobs. Many are single mothers trying to re-enter the workforce, while others are newly arrived migrants and refugees. Some have just completed drug rehabilitation programs, recently come out of prison or suddenly find themselves the breadwinner because of death or divorce.

Although educated and personable, Shey had become trapped in a cycle of low-paying casual jobs. On the job market once more and without any money to buy clothes, she was referred to Fitted for Work. “It was the first time I’d ever worn a suit – a black pants suit with black boots and a shirt with a black stripe in it. When I saw myself in the mirror I looked great and professional.”
Suddenly Shey saw herself differently. She had the clothes and confidence to go to an interview at Medibank Private – she got the job, a part-time position that eventually became a permanent one.

Where do the Fitted for Work clothes come from? They are nearly all donated by individual women, through corporate clothing drives, and by clothing companies all wanting to make a difference by connecting disadvantaged women and work.

Critical to its success and working in every aspect of the service, 450 volunteers have donated their time, expertise and energy to Fitted for Work since it opened.

To meet the need for the service, and thanks to fantastic support from generous individuals, trusts and foundations and a whole range of corporate and other partners, Fitted for Work has grown remarkably.

With branches in the Melbourne CBD, Parramatta in Sydney and on the Mornington Peninsula (in Rosebud and Frankston), it is a truly national organisation that has helped 4,000 women to take that next step towards gaining a job and becoming financially independent.

To donate, volunteer, or find out more about Fitted for Work visit our website: www.fittedfor work.org
or phone 96205533