How Positions in the House Can Help in the Future

Taking on a position can be a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. All this responsibility will help prepare you for future careers. Taking on a position can be a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. All this responsibility will help prepare you for future careers.When you run for a position in your house, you probably think it’ll be a lot of fun with a little bit of work. However, it always ends up being more work than you expected. Every position is vital to the sorority. Without an executive board, nothing would be accomplished, and it’s amazing how much work each member has to put in. There are forms, events to plan, sisters to manage, and you must work with your international organization as well. However, even non-executive members have to do all of this as well.            
It’s been a semester since I became New Member Educator for my sorority and I never expected it to be so rewarding - or so much work. From all the forms I have to fill out to planning Big Little reveal to weekly meetings, the position keeps me busy. Sometimes it’s difficult to manage school as well as my position in the house, but I’ve come to realize that by doing both, I’m developing important skills for the future.             
Holding a position helps you with time-management. It’s hard enough to juggle being a full-time student, having a job, volunteering, and being a member of a sorority, but having a position in the house makes it even harder. You have to find time to do everything and still maintain good grades. It sounds hard, but it is absolutely possible. The key is to set aside time for homework and figure out the times you’ll be needed at the sorority. You should know ahead of time when your deadlines are for forms or event plans in order to get them done in time. You’ll also want to know what events you'll need to attend so that you can get your homework done beforehand. Once you learn how to effectively manage your time, you'll be able to utilize this skill for the rest of your life and come out on top.             
As New Member Educator, I've learned how to effectively communicate with others and utilize my people skills. I’m the first person our new members get to know, so I need to be able to talk to them and make them feel welcome. Through answering their questions and holding meetings, I have really improved how I interact with people, which will help me when it comes time for job interviews. New Member Educator isn’t the only position where you can develop this skill. The President of each sorority has to work with their international organization and communicate with other houses, while the position of Panhellenic Affairs has to work closely with the Panhellenic community. The member who handles finances has to explain to the chapter what their dues go towards, and ensure that people are paying them on time. People skills can be developed through any position that someone holds within their house, because you have to be able to communicate with your sisters and the rest of the Greek community.             
While time management and people skills are very important, the most important skill I have learned this past semester is responsibility. Taking on a position means that you feel strongly about the well-being of your house and its members, and taking on the position means playing a part in improving your house as well. You are expected to be a leader, no matter how small your position is. You have jobs that need to be completed and you have to make sure that they get done. And perhaps most importantly, you serve as a representation of your entire house, as well as a national organization and Greek life as a whole.
Holding a position is a great way to prepare for the real world. You have new responsibilities that will affect your whole chapter and you have the opportunity to make a change and help improve your sisterhood or brotherhood. There are so many valuable skills and lessons that can be learned from having a position in your house, and I highly recommend giving it a try. Plus, it looks great on a resume.