Many of you first met Dress for Success through Elizabeth Johnson, serving as our new volunteer coordinator. Perhaps you weren’t aware that Elizabeth was able to convert her passion and experience with Dress for Success, into an employment opportunity of her own. Read excerpts from a recent interview below.

DFS - You chose Dress for Success from a number of nonprofits in our community. What was the attraction for you?

Elizabeth - I really identify with the mission of Dress for Success.  As a life coach, I had worked with women on a number of different areas like career transition, from women entering the workforce for the first time, women changing careers or women getting back into a specific career after a long absence.  I had seen firsthand how beneficial feeling good about one's work can be.  So I liked the fact that Dress for Success saw this essential connection also. And, in fact, Dress for Success was an agency on a mission to help women become more powerful and confident by helping them gain and maintain meaningful work. 

DFS -What specific role did you decide was a good fit and why?

Elizabeth - When I arrived in Durham last September (08), I was exploring a career transition.  I had decided to close my coaching business and was actively looking into work in the nonprofit world and academia.   So, I was job searching and thought doing some behind the scenes work at Dress for Success would work best for me and be helpful to Pat too.  I asked Pat if I could be the volunteer coordinator and she agreed!  

DFS -Did you incorporate your experience with Dress for Success into your resume and if so, how?

Elizabeth - I have always volunteered in some capacity or another so volunteering wasn't new on my resume but my Dress for Success work was an enhancement to the volunteer experience that I already had.  Basically, I just added a few lines to my resume which included my title (Volunteer Coordinator), the Dress for Success mission statement and a bit of brief detail about what was involved in the volunteer coordination.

DFS -What role did your experience play in securing your new position?

Elizabeth - I think that it played a large role in the job offer that I received from FVPC. After all, the volunteer work that I was doing at Dress for Success mirrored the primary responsibilities in my new position.  Volunteering at Dress for Success also gave me a "local" history (including a reference!) which was helpful since I was so new to the area. 

DFS -What advice would you share with those who  are searching for employment regarding volunteering?

Elizabeth - I have shared with so many people my belief that volunteering is one of the most important things you can do if you are job seeking.  Especially, if you are like I was: looking to transition from one career field to a very different career field.  It's hard to convince prospective employers that you are a good fit for a job.  But it becomes easier if you are already doing very similar work in a volunteer capacity.  You know the languages, challenges and perhaps also some best practices you can share with a future employer.  And, of course, volunteering is very rewarding so you are doing good and feel good too!  But, for those who are still job hunting, I cannot recommend volunteering enough. 

Elizabeth has transitioned to a new volunteer role in our organization. Don’t be surprised to see her running the ship on Saturday’s in Durham this fall! So if you are looking for a new role, why not build your skills and resume while helping others do the same!