Sorority Recruitment Prepares You For the Real World

Believe it or not sorority life is more than matching tee shirts, fake candid pictures, and themed parties.  Just like sorority life is more than all that, Recruitment is more than a popularity contest, matching outfits, and fake smiles. Being a member of a sorority means you are recruiting 365 days a year, whether it’s through formal recruitment, social media, networking with women in your classes, or the way you act while wearing your letters.  At some point during your time as a collegian, you will experience Formal Recruitment.  I’ve had the opportunity to experience the Formal Recruitment Process both as a PNM, Potential New Member, and as a recruiter. Formal Recruitment requires a lot of preparation leading up to the days filled with rounds of meeting new women. So how can Formal Recruitment help you in the real world?

Time Management Skills: Preparing for Formal Recruitment require long hours of preparation in the weeks leading up to the actual recruitment events.  For Fall Recruitment these days, known as Spirit Days, are crammed into the first few weeks of the year. On top of establishing new semester routines and remembering how to study, you now have to spend hours preparing to recruit your sorority’s future.  This requires time management.  For me, my agenda helps keep me sane during the first chaotic month of the fall semester. Time management is a skill that will help you be successful for the rest of your life.

Optimistic Outlook: Whether you are a PNM or a sister who is recruiting, the Formal Recruitment process can be very long and tiresome.  Sometimes you spend a long time in uncomfortable shoes and clothes, you go hours without eating, and you get hardly any sleep.  While these things sound awful, the experience you are getting makes up for it. There are two ways you can deal with these negative things: with an optimistic attitude or with a pessimistic one. Being pessimistic will make the whole process seem much longer, and if you are a PNM you will have a tough time getting into a sorority because nobody really wants a negative Nancy to be their sister. The better option is to have an optimistic throughout the whole process. Being optimistic will make you happier and allow you to turn the negatives into positives. This is a trait that will get you far in life. Living life with an optimistic attitude will bring you a lot more happiness and positivity, which makes life much more pleasant.

Communication Skills: Formal Recruitment is all about being able to converse with other women.  It is through these conversations that you either figure out the organization you will call home or the women you would like to add to your organization. Without these conversations recruitment really wouldn’t exist. Recruitment teaches you how to have quality conversations and how to communicate even when a conversation is dying. Being able to communicate in awkward or normal conversations is a skill that will help you in the workplace, socially, and on a daily basis.

Appearance: Believe it or not, first impressions are incredibly important.  During recruitment first impressions matter, which is why it is important to be groomed. This means your hair should be done neatly, attire should be on the conservative side, makeup should give off a clean appearance, deodorant should be worn, clothes should not be wrinkled, nails should be trimmed and painted neatly (or not at all), and perfume should be on the lighter side. Learning to make a great first impression through a well-kept appearance is something that is good to know how to do as you will need to do this during a job interview.

Good luck to everyone engaging in the Formal Recruitment process this Fall! Just remember that the experience you are gaining is helping you develop better professional skills, which will help you post college.

Congrats to one of our new writers, Michaela, for this amazing article!! She also blogs as The Shore Life According to M!

My Recruitment Story

Charisse A.

I don’t have the typical recruitment story. I didn’t sign up as a wide eyed freshman fresh outta high school, anxiously waiting for this process to begin. I didn’t meet so many sororities on campus during recruitment to where I lost track of faces and names. My recruitment experience is just the opposite.

               I had struggled with the thought of seeing myself in a sorority, but figured “hey, why not?” So I told my parents I wanted to go through recruitment during first semester of college. Needless to say they were not on board because they wanted academics to be my number one focus, understandably so. So I waited until spring semester. At that point, I was fully immersed in my school work and other extracurriculars that I didn’t even know how I’d be able to balance everything! But after a lot of back and forth from my parents, they finally became a little bit more understanding.

               Because I went through spring semester, I had an informal experience; meaning I would go to some events that each sorority was hosting and see where my best fit was. (It was pretty easy to decide, considering my school at the time only had 2 sororities.) I knew which house I belonged to. I knew where I wanted to establish my roots. Getting my bid was just perfect yet so surreal! And at first, I thought I wouldn’t feel the same as someone who went through recruitment before felt when they were greeted by so many sisters singing and yelling, waiting for new sisters to embrace them! I did in fact felt that way! Here’s where everything gets a little weird.

               Towards the end of second semester, news broke that my school and another one were “merging” which meant that my university and another were to now be housed under the same name and jurisdiction. This also meant that for the fraternities and sororities who existed on both campus would also consolidate and we’d have to take on a whole new group of guys/girls whom we didn’t even know! After a lot of back and forth and trying to fit all the pieces together, everything turned on alright! I was initiated with a pledge class of 4, but now have a pledge class of over 70, will be recruiting with more than 80 sisters, and are expected to recruit HUNDREDS of PNMS!

            

   So like I said, I don’t have the most traditional recruiting story, but it’s unique and something special that I’ll always carry with me. 

In Cold Weather For Recruitment? Here's How To Stay Looking Hot

We all see those Instagram pics of our older friends going through recrutiment at schools in Arizona, Florida, and California in the fall. The hot weather calls for adorable floral rompers, open-toed wedges, and sun-kissed tan legs. But for those of us in colder climates or who go through recruitment in the spring, we are thrown a bit of a curveball in our easy, breezy outfits.

Here's a few helpful hints to make the supreme outfit hunt go a bit more smoothly: 

Tip #1: If it's cold out, don't skip the sweater in an effort to look cute. Cold weather is the perfect time to rock that edgy leather jacket or the darling shearling collared coat you got for Christmas. As much as you may want to wear your cute brandy tank dress, you're not going to enjoy being the girl waiting outside the house freezing because you didn't want to wear warmer clothes. 

Tip #2: If it's raining out invest in a bubble umbrella. The shape of the umbrella will not only keep the rain off the top of your head, but will protect the entire front and back of your body from the windy rain. Wouldn't want to ruin that perfectly curled hair!

This one from Target is totally affordable and will keep you looking adorable. Trust me, you'll be the envy of every other rushee. 

Tip #3: Have one really great conversational piece. Wearing some funky polka dot tights (woohoo sale!), a rhinestone headband, or a daring lipstick color is a great way to break up an awkward conversation and it's a sure way for girls to remember you in the sea of hundreds of PNM's. 

Tip #4: Don't dress how you think they want you to, dress how YOU want to. Yes, there is the stereotypical sorority style: Kate Spade dress, Tory Burch bag, monogrammed necklace, pearl earrings, and Lilly planner. If this outfit is actually you're style, then rock it! But don't go spend money on clothes you're not going to feel comfortable in. Recruitment is the time where sororities get to know you, and your style is a wonderful reflection of your personality and interests. 

Editor's Note: This article was written by one of our new writers, Kendall. Please show her some love in the comments on behalf of her first post! 

Recruitment Week Necessities

Some would say spirit week and recruitment week are two of the most stressful weeks of the sorority calendar. I would have to say those people are wrong if you make sure you have everything you need in your bag to face any challenge you may come across. I have compiled the top 10 things you HAVE to have in your recruitment bag. 

• A Small Beauty Pack
• Coffee Filters: Great for blotting shiny noses
• Hairspray: Holds make up and hair as well as keeps undergarments from moving
• Chapstick: Helps eliminate dry lips and you can dab it on knicks to make them stop stinging
• Your Standard Makeup: Touch up in between parties

     

• A Nail Kit: Cuts loose threads, hang nails, tweezers to help with eyebrows and any other minor problems 

• A Wristlet: If you are running to print off lists for the recruitment chair you don't want your whole tote 

• Headphones: In case you need a few minutes of me time

• Lifesavers: Will help you get fresh breath in a pinch and can also give you a sugar pickup if  needed. 

• Starbucks Vias: Caffeine in 2 minutes or less

• A Recruitment Binder
• Your new member book: Brush up on your facts when you have a minute to spare
• An itinerary: It's awesome to be the one who knows what time parties are starting. 
• An encouraging note or set of quotes: For when you get a girl who just gets your mood down and need a pick me up. This is also useful when you get stressed with your sisters to help remind you why you joined. 
• Paper for when you need to take notes about PNMs or other tips your Recruitment Chair gives you

• A First Aid Kit: Band-Aids and Tylenol. There will always be someone who needs both. 

• A Small Snack: Low blood sugar and an empty stomach will make recruitment miserable so avoid this if possible. 

• Hand Sanitizer: You will shake so many hands this week, it's not worth getting sick. 

With these (inexpensive) useful things, your recruitment week should go off without a hitch! Good luck recruiting and remember that the lack of sleep and blistered feet are for the amazing new members you get at the end of the week!

Got any other necessities for recruitment? Share them in the comments!