What Sorority Life Taught Me About Business
To the non-Greek, sororities and fraternities may seem like a silly affiliation where members pay for their friends. As a former sorority president and active alumna member of the Alpha Sigma Tau sorority, I strongly disagree. Sorority life taught me many valuable lessons (and paying for friends was not one of them). And while my main reason for joining a sorority had nothing to do with professional development, it was the most rewarding take away that still helps me to this day and I have been an alum since 2002.
How to Manage People- I am thankful for my sorority experience because by the time I turned 18, I learned that it’s impossible to get along with everyone. Sometimes, people clash with each other. A leader figures out how to effectively deal with people, even those they do not like, for the greater good of the organization. There are politics in sororities and fraternities, just as there are politics in business. Learning how to deal with the dynamics of politics in college will help you deal with them in real life.
Confidence- Before I joined a sorority, I was a push over. I let people take advantage of me. If someone would ask me to borrow my car, I would reluctantly say yes, even though I did not want them to use me or my car. Sorority taught me how to stand up for myself and gave me the confidence to be a leader and speak on behalf of myself. I now pride myself on the fact that I am a voice for others who are afraid to speak up for themselves. Running sorority business meetings gives you confidence and experience running meetings in the corporate world.
Image is Everything- I remember thinking it was a silly rule that you should not wear your letters when you are out drinking. I now realize how appropriate that principle is. I would not wear a jacket or shirt with my company name or logo and then get loaded and act like a fool in public. If you are going to be publicly drunk, disaffiliate yourself from your company. If you are going to protest something in public, make sure you are protesting as your self and not as a representation for your company.
Leadership- Being a leader means many things. You are a roll model to others. Your actions are always being watched. People remember what you say. While leadership roles may come through popularity and not merit in Greek Life (although not always the case), bad leaders will stick out sooner than good leaders. I learned from analyzing the leaders before me and learned from their mistakes. I saw the qualities I did not want to embody and ran from them. I am very mindful of not getting a big ego and I am willing to compromise. I learn how to see things from varying perspectives because when you are managing a group of women as sorority president, not everyone will always agree and sometimes there is more than one correct answer.
Experience- There are many positions one can hold in a sorority or fraternity that can translate into real experience in your first job. For example, a position as a Recording Secretary gives you experience taking notes and communicating those notes to others. In business, a good former Recording Secretary should be able to document actions, owners, time lines and communicate them to others. Someone who holds a Parliamentarian position should be able to keep meetings running efficiently.
Time Management- Not only was I president of my sorority, I worked full time during college. I was forced to become an expert at time management because I had no choice but to get things done on a timely basis. Being extremely busy also helped me master multi-tasking. My ability to successfully manage many projects at once is due to my success of juggling work, life, and college all at once.
These are just a few things that I learned from being Greek. How did your collegiate experiences help you professionally?
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Tags: friends, Leadership, Life, Management, notes, Politics, Women
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April 1st, 2008 at 7:46 am
Jennifer, it seems to me that any organization that you’re passionate about could impart these skills. How do you think Greek life compares to other student groups?
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April 1st, 2008 at 8:02 am
That’s a great question. I think that other student groups foster leadership development. Being a disk jockey at a college radio station can help with presenting skills and working under pressure. Being in student government can help you learn discipline and how to follow processes. As long as students are involved and act progressively to shape themselves, they will grow.
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April 2nd, 2008 at 11:27 am
Wish I had been in a sorority, then I might have learned some things.
Seriously, good post. In short, everybody should learn how to be somebody by acting with pride.
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April 2nd, 2008 at 5:51 pm
I think this is a great post. I too joined a sorority in college, however I never realized how it truly did prepare me for the business world! You explained it well and this is something I can use in my next interview!
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April 3rd, 2008 at 9:12 pm
I agree with your major points. I was in a sorority at college and when I graduated I realized quickly that my experience prepared me for the bigger world. Imagine learning how to work with over 100 women. It’s challenging at times.
April 4th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
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April 7th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I couldn’t agree more that being an active student is a huge plus for anyone’s business career. Club sports, honor societies, political groups and the like are great ways to practice leadership skills and even project management.
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May 20th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Good insight. All college students should be thinking about the clubs, organizations, and experiences they have participated in. There are many parallels between those college experiences and the hard and soft skills you need to be an attractive candidate and successful in the workforce.