Tips to Help Job Hunters Dress on a Budget

Pictured: The White House Black Market Work Kit, stylish & affordable office fashions

One of the most heartbreaking things about this economic downturn, at least to me, is how hard it is for young adults in their 20’s to find a job. After paying for an expensive college education, or even graduate degree, many graduates can’t find work right away. This means that for this  generation of young people, the new “Baby Boomers” or the Millennials, many are still living at home with Mom and Dad or working at jobs for which they are over qualified.  According to Wikipedia “Economic prospects for the Millennials have worsened due to the late-2000s recession. Several governments have instituted major youth employment schemes out of fear of social unrest due to the dramatically increased rates of youth unemployment.”  Witness the recent Occupy Wall Street movement to see signs of this “social unrest.”   I think most of us are aware how tough the employment market is today, especially for those who are trying to enter the market without prior work experience on their resume. That’s one reason I wanted write about the issues Millennials are facing finding jobs right now. It’s hard to be unemployed. You still have to put your “game face” on for interviews and purchase a good suit or dress for a job interview. I’ve talked to several recruiters who tell me that even though the workplace has changed and more people are dressing casually, job hunters still need a good suit for an interview, or for women, if you don’t have a suit, a good professional dress or matching jacket and skirt.

Pictured: A simple, classic Brooks Brother black jacket, on sale for  $98.00, reduced from $325.00.

If you’re shopping for a job hunter this Christmas, where can you go to get them an interview outfit to make a good impression? And where can you shop if you want to try to outfit them, say for less than $100.00?  Well, here a few tips.

• Look for big designer and retail clearance sales this time of year. Then look for a coupon to further bring the price down.  Sites like  CouponMountain and RetailMeNot, can help you save.  The recent Divine by Design sale in Los Angeles featured suits from Brooks Brothers for 80 to 90% off of retail rates. I was next to a twenty-something job hunter filling his cart up with about 5 good suits at Divine by Design. If you’re shopping for a guy, check out Overstock.com for deals on suits.  TJ Maxx and Loehmann’s also sell suits and separates for work at great discounts.
• Shop the consignment stores in your area for good deals on suits and good dresses. How do you find them? Check Yelp! for listings in your area. In Los Angeles, I’ve seen Armani suits at the Beit T’Shuvah Thrift store in Culver City for $100.00 or less.
• Check out the Brooks Brothers online clearance sale happening now for 70% off. For women, Brooks Brothers has a lot of jackets for less than $100.00 on their clearance, that you can pair with matching slacks or a skirt that you may already have.
• Shop the White House Black Market “Work Kit Collection.”  WHBM has many great looks for the office for under $150, $125 and $100.00.  Check their sale/clearance section for looks less than $75.00.
• Check the online shopping clubs.  Invitations are posted under The Recessionista’s top picks on the right nav bar on the blog.

Pictured: Budget tips and planning tools are plentiful on LearnVest.com

Beyond getting ready for job interviews, there are many other tools need in this volatile economy and tough job market that Millennials need. Finance and lifestyle tips can help immensely.  That’s why American Express has partnered with LearnVest , the leading personal finance and lifestyle website for women, to provide trusted content, tools, and support. The site also features Gen Y expert Christine Hassler sharing her best job hunting tips.

Here’s what you need to do to enter the giveaway. Submit your questions about finding a job in the current challenging job market through comments, Tweets, and Facebook posts on The Recessionista’s group page for a chance to have your questions answered by Christine and win a $200 American Express gift card. Here’s a sample question, “Can the use of Social Media help a job hunter? How?”

This giveaway is going to run through Dec. 27, 2011 to give everyone a chance to ask their questions to get ready for their job hunt in 2012.  Submit your questions using the Rafflecopter Widget below.  It’s easy to use, simply sign in via Facebook or via your email, then follow the instructions.  This contest will be open until Dec. 27th, 2011 midnight EST.   Contest is only open to US Residents.  If you don’t see the Rafflecopter widget, leave a comment using the comment button underneath the post with your email address or click the Read More Link,  underneath this post.


Please make sure to click on the “DO IT” to do each task and once you have completed the task click the “ENTER” button to confirm your entry. Make sure to enter your name and email for each selection, so your entries will be counted. Good Luck!

FTC disclosure: I will receive a gift card in the amount of $200.00 from American Express for sponsoring this giveaway and advertising their program on my blog. The opinions in this post are my own, as are my recommendations on workplace fashions.