“From the outside looking in, you can never understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it.” As a member of the Greek community, I am completely aware of the many stereotypes and challenges that accompany an affiliation with Greek life. Every person has a different experience with Greek life but there is no doubt that you have gained valuable skills from your Greek involvement. From attendance at weekly meetings (time management, punctuality, commitment) to officer positions (leadership, delegation, public speaking) to volunteer opportunities (altruism, service, communication), Greek life has not only had an impact on your life, but also the many skills that you can use to serve companies in the work force.
Here are my top 6 tips for how to positively market Greek life on your resume:
- Ask yourself questions about your Greek experience:
- Did you have leadership positions?
- What did you do?
- What skills does this require?
- How does this relate to your future job?
- What were requirements of membership in your chapter?
- What skills do you have now that you didn’t have before you joined Greek life?
- Use “Greek” power words: Power words are used to describe experiences listed on your resume and should represent a specific skill gained from that
experience - Suggested “Greek” power words: Achieved, Arranged, Assisted, Attended, Chaired, Collaborated, Coordinated, Communicated, Entrusted, Led, Organized, Planned, Publicized, Ran, Served, Sponsored, Supported, Volunteered
- Quantify your experience (to the best of your ability): When providing details about your experience, give concrete quantifiable details. These numbers will give your employers a better idea of what you did, how often you did it, and give your experiences more relevance to their company.
- How many… People at events? Number of events planned? Dollars raised/counted? People working together as a team? Hours put into planning an event?
- How often… Do you public speak? Attend meetings? Volunteer? Plan events?
- Include details: The easiest way to explain the importance of your experience in Greek life is to provide concrete details about your experience. If you don’t provide details about what you did – employers will fill in those blanks on their own, which could be a benefit OR a detriment
- Ideas of details to provide include:
- The purpose of an event
- Who an event served (community, Greek life, alumni, etc.)
- Your role in the event (coordinated, planned, attended, facilitated)
- Tailor your resume: Each resume you write should be focused on the job at hand. Therefore, use Greek life to highlight the specific skills that a company requires. Does their job description include communication skills, organization skills, or management skills? Use specific examples from your Greek experience to show these skills.
- Be confident in your experience: No two Greek experiences will ever be the same. Be confident in your experience and recognize the importance of the skills you gained from that experience. If you are unsure about why you joined your organization or what you gained from the organization, interviewers will feel the same way about the experience. While it’s hard to explain your personal attachment to your organization – the skills you learned from Greek life will remain with you forever.
posted by Kirby Erdman, Career Assistant
