Donna knew the importance of making a good impression during her interview at Ronald A. Bartlett & Associates, a financial planning firm in New York. She was sure to brush up on details about the company and review her résumé beforehand, then began to carefully construct an outfit that was appropriate for the setting and reflected her character. It was during this final pre-interview step, however, that Donna realized one major obstacle in her pursuit of this employment opportunity: She didn't own the power suit she would need to turn a successful impression into a bona fide job offer. It was a seemingly impossible dilemma ... a true catch-22: Without the income from such a job, how could she ever afford such an outfit?

A solution emerged when Donna's job-training agency referred her to the nonprofit agency Dress for Success.

At Dress for Success' New York boutique, Alexis, one of the organization's volunteer personal shoppers, assisted Donna in selecting a three-piece navy suit, matching Coach shoes, a silk scarf, earrings, and pearls. Although Donna admits to feeling "naturally nervous" when she headed to the interview, she recalls: "that suit brought up my confidence level 110 percent, because I looked the part." She was invited back for a second interview and, in February of 1999, began her position as an administrative assistant. Donna quickly learned how to refinance mortgage loans and earned a promotion within the year.

Things hadn't always gone this smoothly for her. Donna, like many women in her Bronx neighborhood, faced several challenges to employment. After graduating from high school, she was accepted to Virginia Union University but lost her scholarship due to funding cuts and had to drop out. "That was the first letdown for me," she explains, "but I'd always been interested in protective services, so when I saw an ad in a civil service paper, I took the test and I became a corrections officer."

Donna did very well in her law enforcement position for nearly three years until she unwittingly got mixed up in some illegal activity while trying to help a friend. Although she did not have to spend time in jail, the incident left her with a criminal record. It led to a series of difficult setbacks.

Donna tried tirelessly to prove her innocence and spent the next few years in and out of the courts, making it difficult to hold on to a full-time job. Discouraged, she went on public assistance to pay her bills. The state required her to enroll in a training program to receive her benefits. Donna says she welcomed the opportunity to continue building her skill set. "I scored at a college level when they tested me, and I was referred to programs that fit my skills. I went through a lot of training programs those few years — I just wanted to stay active, keep myself going," she said. "If there was a program that could teach me something I didn't already know, I signed up."

Eventually, after signing a plea agreement to shorten her probation period and gain more freedom to seek employment, it looked like all of Donna's training and perseverance was about to pay off: She obtained a certificate in computer operations and landed a job at the City of New York Human Resource Administration, Office of Personnel Services. But the birth of her second child left her with too much to juggle and Donna soon found herself back on public assistance. Determined to make the best of a difficult situation, Donna patched together income through various home-based jobs, such as day care and sewing. How did she manage to stay motivated? "I had mouths to feed. I couldn't dwell on the past. I had to focus on making a future for me and my kids."

Donna managed to find affordable child care for her two children and entered the job-training program that would refer her to Bartlett & Associates. Although a good launching pad, the firm did not provide medical benefits or many opportunities for growth. Donna knew she could do better, so she began to seek opportunities through the Professional Women's Group, a networking association run by Dress for Success and composed of individuals like herself: motivated women who have left public assistance to pursue empowering career opportunities.

In her Professional Women's Group meetings, Donna was encouraged to maintain high expectations of herself and her workplace environment. She networked and found out about job leads. Before she knew it, she'd landed a new job as the executive receptionist at Elsevier Science, a New York–based international medical publishing company. The company offers excellent benefits and a clear path for advancement. "I get to talk with people from all over the world and find out about other cultures," Donna said. "It's really expanded my horizons."

Donna's 14-year-old daughter, Dara, has taken a special interest in her mom's new industry. "I guess everything works out for a reason," Donna said. "This job is a springboard for me. My daughter even wants me to bring her down to the job so she can see exactly what I do."