You would think that a college degree would be enough to land that dream career you’ve always wanted, but jokes, girl. Things aren’t that easy. As soon as you’ve said your goodbyes, hugged your little, taken senior pictures on every edge of campus, and packed up your massive collection of sorority T-shirts, reality sets in. You’re a big girl now, about to take a leap of faith into the business world where everyone has a piece of paper confirming they survived college. Just like you did.
Something I quickly realized after graduating with my bachelor’s in English was this simple lesson. If you want to catch a break directly out of college, you need to have something under your belt that sets you apart from the crowd. (And no, being a fraternity’s sweetheart doesn’t count.) Thankfully, being a member of a Greek organization does. It did for me and it can for many of you who are members of a sorority.
There are tons of reasons I decided to join a sorority. For the sisterhood, the parties, the memories, and–let’s be honest here–the frat guys. But I also joined because I knew going Greek could offer me so much more than just four fun years in college. I knew it could give me that special something I needed to be prepared for the real world.
Statistics show 44 percent of United States presidents have been members of fraternities. Seventy-six percent of all congressmen or women and senators belong to a fraternity or sorority, too. Everyone knows that we Greeks definitely know how to party–hello Tulane–but we also know how to excel professionally.
Here are five ways that address why going Greek can pay off after graduation.
1. Alumni Networking
Elle Woods isn’t the only one getting unexpected pointers from alumni. There are graduate chapters nationwide with members who are more than willing to help their younger sisters land their first real jobs or internships. Whether you decide to join a chapter, regularly attend meetings, catch a few mixers, or personally reach out to alumnae in your area, taking advantage of that benefit could help you skip the stress of submitting a million resumes on LinkedIn with your fingers crossed.
2. Proven Dedication
Tailgates, socials, bar crawls, hair bows, Norts, pockets tees, $2 Tuesdays–clearly dedication is our middle name. They don’t say sorority life is a lifestyle for no reason. From Lilly to Betsey, we are all about being dedicated to the things we care about. That same focus and consistency in the workplace will show your superiors that they can count on your best efforts to remain a member of their company, which can lead to huge opportunities for advancement. Next thing you know you’ll be all “The Devil Wears Prada” boss status. You’re welcome.
3. Leadership Skills
Having a sorority office position on your resume can show that you have particular leadership skills. Details like this can help you get a promotion or land a job over someone else who has similar experience as you. Maybe lay off on titles like “Senior most likely to have wine in her water bottle,” but you get what I’m saying.
4. Community Involvement
According to the North American Interfraternity Conference, the Greek system has the largest network of volunteers in the United States. In addition to that, those volunteers and members donate more than 10 million hours of service each year. They also bring in more than $7 million annually. Even if you contributed to that fund by holding a car wash on Greek row, you technically participated in a community project. All kidding aside, community service and philanthropic efforts are a huge part of being a sorority woman, and that is something the workforce recognizes as a valuable professional skill.
5. Recruitment Experience
As women of Greek life, we know how to communicate to the masses, and we know how to do it well. Communicating and recruiting is a large part of what we did during college, and in the professional world, those skills are highly in demand as well. Show them off, put them to use, and the right people will notice.
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Wine2TheRescue
Wine2TheRescue is a legal marketing pro & blogger out of Washington, D.C. but is originally a sorority girl out of Northwest Florida. As a recent graduate and expert twenty-something, she spends most of her time trying to balance her work schedule with her daily required wine intake. It's a struggle she's learning to manage, but nothing she can't lean on her sisters for help with. She is also a contributing writer for Total Sorority Move and Post Grad Problems.
@Wine2TheRescue
