Fact: Greek letters come with stigmas. In college, it may seem as that the only stigma that matters is what your organization is known for on campus. However, once you leave the TCU bubble, your letters will be judged based on the fact they are Greek. These outside opinions can range from good to bad to somewhere in between, so it is important to strategically decide how to declare your Greek affiliation to the real world.
One controversial question that some struggle with is: Should I include my sorority or fraternity on my professional resume? My answer: Yes! But before you just slap on the title of your group and move onto the next section of your business profile, you should stop and plan out what to say about your organization.Here are some ways to market your Greek experience on your resume: List and Describe Any Leadership PositionsSororities and fraternities are great venues where you can take up leadership positions that will impress potential employers. If you held an executive officer position, outline your duties and responsibilities in detail. Explain the impact that you made on your chapter and how that can be translated into making you a great employee.
If you were a part of a committee, write down how you made a difference to the overall project. Include what you learned from working with a team and how the experience would make you a great member of this business’s unit.
Even if you have just always been an active member of your Greek organization, you can still include your sorority or fraternity in your resume. However, you might want to save it for your extracurricular section.
Include all Service and Volunteer ProjectsAll sororities and fraternities have a philanthropy that they focus their time and resources on. Because of the time and energy your organization has put into its specific cause, you should include your involvement your group has had in shaping projects that make a difference in the community. This can include anything from volunteering with your group in the Fort Worth area to collecting funds for your national Greek organization’s cause.
Use Your Advisor as a ReferenceYour chapter advisor is someone who witnesses all of the hard work you put into bettering your chapter, so he or she would be a great option for a reference. Having someone who can speak on your behalf of the difference you have made can truly round out your professional presentation to employers. Make sure to ask permission before you put down any contact information, though!
One of the big reasons to go Greek is the ability you have after college to network and make connections with alumni of your organization. You never know where your fraternity or sorority brothers and sisters could be hiding waiting to assist you in your career. So take advantage of your membership and market your Greek experience in a way that will make future employers want you based off of your letters and not in spite of them.
