Smart Works is a dynamic, high profile and fast-growing UK charity that dresses and coaches unemployed women for success at their job interview. We empower each woman by giving her the clothes and the confidence she needs to succeed. 69% of the clients that come to see us go on to get the job within a month of their appointment with us.
At the heart of Smart Works sits a dressing and coaching service designed to help our clients be the best version of themselves at a crucial moment in their lives. We help women to find high-quality interview outfits and offer them a one-to-one coaching session with an interview coach to help them secure a job.
For the individual, unemployment is one of the biggest causes of poverty and associated with physical and mental health challenges, high mortality rates and academic underperformance. For the state, one unemployed person costs £6,897pa in benefits and lost tax revenue (Joseph Rowntree Foundation).
The women we support are at greatest risk of economic hardship and discrimination. In the last year, 44% of clients had been unemployed for over a year, 18% had applied for over 50 jobs and 10% had applied for over 100 jobs before coming to Smart Works. In addition, 37% were single mothers, 16% have a disability and 52% were from an ethnic minority.
Job interviews are difficult and a significant barrier to success. Without the necessary self-belief and practical tools, it is easy to become trapped in a cycle of failed interviews and unemployment.
The impact of the pandemic has heightened this and increased pressure to succeed at job interviews, meaning our support has never been more needed.
We believe in the power of clothes and coaching to transform a woman’s confidence. Our service is carefully designed, with kindness and respect at the heart of everything we do. It is about much more than the clothes she is gifted: it is about what the clothes allow each woman to become. When she looks in the mirror, she begins to see hope and possibility for a better future.
As a member of the Smart Works community, either as a staff member, trustee or volunteer, you will play a fundamental role in delivering our service, constantly innovating to tackle the challenge of women’s unemployment.
If you are passionate about and empowered by our values and mission, join our team and help transform a woman’s life.
Our Opportunities
The Smart Works wardrobe is at the heart of the dressing service. Each client receives a professional, boutique dressing experience, where they choose an outfit that makes them feel confident and ready to take on their interview.