Scheduling Conflict
 

I recently started a new job and got my schedule for the week of recruitment.. my manager knows that I plan on rushing and is trying the best he can to be lenient as far as scheduling but one of the days I'm scheduled to work conflicts with my recruitment schedule. It's informal rush so PNM's are able to attend as many or as few open houses and etc. as they wish but on the day I'm scheduled to work i'm missing about 4 possibly 5 parties. Three of those parties are the final open houses before their invite only parties. I tried fixing my schedule but there's no way to get out of it.

Is it safe to assume that if I'm not able to attend the second open house before invite only parties that it will decrease my chances of getting a bid? Part of me wants to think that the houses would be pretty understanding of the scheduling conflict but I'm not too sure. Recruitment hasn't even started yet so I guess that my best option is to just make the best impression that I can at the parties I am able to attend so that they'll remember me for future parties and talk to the houses whose party I'll miss so that they understand... but are there any other options?

This will almost certainly affect you. If you become a sorority member, work will not be considered an excuse to miss a mandatory event...so if you were rushing my house, I would be inclined to think you weren't prepared to be in a sorority.

You can do what you want, but it will very likely hurt you greatly.

Economic times have changed. Back in the day few(er) sorority members had jobs and often it was because they simply wanted extra spending money. Parents typically paid for tuition, living expenses, sorority dues, etc. Therefore work was not considered a viable excuse to miss a mandatory chapter function.

However every year now we see more and more members attending school on scholarships, loans, grants, paying for it themselves, etc. Many members work because they have no other choice to pay their bills including chapter dues. We've realized that punishing with fines or some other way for missing a mandatory event due to work is counterproductive.It often leaves that member no choice but to turn in her pin. (We do expect them to prove they've made every effort to try to accomodate the sorority schedule.)

But that's not what the OP wants to know. She's interested in how missing parties due to work may affect her chances. There is no way we can know. It's up to each chapter.

I don't think it would hurt to let them know why you won't be at the next party.

How many other parties are you attending? I think the sororities would be more lenient if you missed one day. I would suggest if there is another party the day before, you let the sorority sisters know that you're gonna miss the next party because you had to work & weren't able to get it off.

I know where fantASTic is going, but I have to disagree with her. Missing a party in an informal recruitment setting shouldn't affect you that much. If I was my house's party that you were missing, I would not think that you'd be a bad member.

It will really vary from chapter to chapter. If you were rushing MY house, I would be sympathetic because I have worked since I was 14 and I pay for everything (dues, tuition, car, insurance, books, food, clothing, etc) MYSELF.

Secondly, informal recruitment is no where near as strict as formal. Focus on having great conversations with the girls and explain your situation. I can't speak for everyone, but I admire the girls who work hard for the things they have.

From what I understood, this is 'informal' but structured, right? There are only so many days you can go to parties, not whenever the chapter decides? If this is true, I stand by my statement..unless you went to at least 3 of the other parties. If it is completely informal recruitment, then it probably wouldn't hurt you.

It really depends on how many parties you have to attend beforehand. But I still think it would hurt you. So I guess this is where we say, it depends on the school..

I would be able to attend one party in some houses 2 before the day I'm scheduled to miss..

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My school is a bit different where as there are dates set aside for informal recruitment however it's up to the chapters to decide when and how many parties they want to have.

IMO it will hurt you! Even in an informal recruitment setting, you want the actives to know that you are interested in sorority life....Missing any parties that you could go to, or be invited to will look as though you are not interested.

If you want to be in a sorority, work will need to be structured around sorority events, not the other way around. This may sound harsh, but that is the way it is at many campuses.

...What? That makes no sense.

Can you check with one of your coworkers and see if one of them is able to cover your shift? Perhaps you can offer a trade -- "I'll take your Friday night shift if you can cover this one shift for me." My experience is that most managers of retail, restaurant, and similar jobs are amenable to switches as long as all shifts are covered.

Okay...just to finish up my [unpopular, but whatever] statement here...

Be aware that some [maybe all, I'm not sure] chapters will have requirements about who they can bid. For example, some chapters may say that they are not allowed to bid a girl who only attended one party, or only attended two parties. This is why I say it will hurt you - if you can only attend one party, there will probably be groups who are required to cut you due to National guidelines. This may also apply to two parties for other groups.

This is why I say that it may hurt you.

Actually it does, but I'll elaborate if my post was unclear....The day that I'm working.. let's call it "Day X" there are 5 parties scheduled that I'm interested in attending. Of those 5 houses that are throwing parties there are 2 houses that have 2 other parties scheduled before that day for the remaining houses they only have 1 party scheduled before "Day X".. which is why i said that i'd be able to attend one party but in some cases 2.

if there isn't a way for you to get out of it (switching shifts?) let them know the day before. be super apologetic (i.e. "i just want to let you know ahead of time that i have to work tomorrow during the second round of open houses. i apologize and truly wish i could be here instead.") do you have recruitment counselors? if you do, i'd get a note from your manager saying you were scheduled to work and there wasn't a way to get out of it. then the counselor would give a copy of that note to the chapter. it's the same as if you had class...would they expect you to skip class for a recruitment event? probably not.

Doubtful. She said it's informal recruitment.

in that case, I change my answer. Yes this might affect you greatly. A sorority can't know if you'd be a good addition by meeting you once.

As some said, it would depend on the school and chapters. Why do I say this? It might be because that working in todays economics has to be done.

It is called paying your way to go to college and that is the most important thing isn't it?

But if your possible new sisters understand that then it will make it a bit easier. Now, if you can work out your schedual with your boss this early the more the better.

Then maybe things can be worked out later on, both buy yor GLO and your boss.

Either way, good luck!;)

Uh, Tom, read the original post ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
:rolleyes:

LOL! Sorry, I know you meant addition.....but hey, "edition" is a possiblity!:D

This is why I hate and detest this kind of informal rush...the sororities sometimes purposely try to make their parties overlap and the rushees have to choose. It's one thing if there are only a few spots in each chapter but as "real" rush it blows, blows, blows.

I would try everything possible to get out of work - if you can't, hit as many parties as possible on the night you can, and let the ones you won't be able to attend the next night know that you can't come but ARE interested. Whatever you do, make sure to tell ALL the chapters that you visited the first time that you can't return because of work. Girls talk and if you tell one chapter that and don't tell the others, even if you're not interested in them, it could be misinterpreted as rudeness.

ahh yes, sorry. I was rushing to finish typing before I had to leave. I did mean addition.