Pin at interview?

lionlove · #1 10-29-2002, 09:37 PM

I have an odd question. I have a business lunch/job interview tomorrow. Would it be inappropriate to wear my sorority pin? I will probably err on the side of caution and not wear my pin but if someone thinks it's a good idea that I wear it then I will reconsider. Thanks

KappaTarzan · #2 10-29-2002, 09:47 PM

its really up to you.. i personally dont' wear my pin at interviews, but if you feel it appropriate and think it may help you win a job, then go for it

roselampturtle · #3 10-29-2002, 10:01 PM

I have always worn my pin to interviews. They have never said anything to me about it. Alot of professional people wear pins that they are a member of. We are just members of greek organizations! Im proud of my pin, and ive always gotten the job! If you want to wear it, go for it!

Good Luck with your meeting!

Greek love,

Nikki

honeychile · #4 10-29-2002, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lionlove
I have an odd question. I have a business lunch/job interview tomorrow. Would it be inappropriate to wear my sorority pin? I will probably err on the side of caution and not wear my pin but if someone thinks it's a good idea that I wear it then I will reconsider. Thanks

I've discussed this in the past with others who do interviewing. It can work for you, if the interviewer is a greek, because they realize that you can budget your time well, etc. However, it can work against you if the interviewer is anti-greek, or has a particular problem with your GLO.

Just my $.02.

honeychile

violets · #5 10-30-2002, 12:07 AM

lionlove,
I would err on the side of caution with this.
You want to keep the focus on yourself and your capabilities. Wearing your pin could very well engender hostile feelings in your inteviewer about Greek Life, or bad memories of college or simply be distracting to the interviewer, her or she may very well not know what it is you are wearing. There are all sorts of possible scenarios.
Focus on you and the achievements you have on your resume. Save the pin for when you get the job.
violets

three2tango · #6 10-30-2002, 12:10 AM

This reminds me of that commercial where the girl goes into the bathroom at someone else's house and opens the medicine cabinet.....pauses and then reaches for a tube. Of course the whole thing comes down and CRASH!!

Anyway, I would say no. Show your pride, but not on an interview. I think it would just be too distracting and I also agree with honeychile.

Good Luck!!

honeychile · #7 10-30-2002, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by violets

Save the pin for when you get the job.
violets

I've been wanting to share this. I was at a Panhellenic fundraiser, and saw an AEPhi who wore her pin in such a creative way, no one could tell at a glance that it was a sorority pin!

She had her pin properly placed, then every dangle she'd ever earned on a separate link of the chain to her guard, then the guard, with only a slight dip. It was stunning, to say the least!

Good luck, lionlove!
honeychile

Optimist Prime · #8 10-30-2002, 12:14 AM

girls can guys can't. Girls get away with it because women are expected to wear more jewelry.

sororitygirl2 · #9 10-30-2002, 12:29 AM

It depends on what profession you are going into as well. For instance, if you are going into higher education or interviewing a charitable trust doundation/philanthropic organization it would PROBABLY (not always) go over well. But if you are in a more liberal, artistic field such as studio art or something, people may frown on the conformity aspect of a sorority.

Anyway, I don't wear my badge to interviews but I do bring up my sorority experience if I feel it is relevant to the conversation and would be well receieved (after a few minutes so I can get a feel for the interviewer). Once my interviewer was in another GLO, once she was in mine and once the girl got sad and told me she was cut by evey house in recruitment... Anyway, mentioning it has never hurt me in an interview.

XOMichelle · #10 10-30-2002, 12:45 AM

I'd say no.It has nothing to do with the job that you are interviewing for. Also, since many people have negative feelings about greek life, they would be put off by you wearing your pin. Also, if your interviewer is from the Northeast, Midwest or the West, don't wear it either. They would think it was strange that you were wearing your pin to a professional event.
If your interviewing for a Greek Advisor position, with NPC, or your sorority's national org, then wear it.
-Michelle

sororitygirl2 · #11 10-30-2002, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Honeychile:
I've been wanting to share this. I was at a Panhellenic fundraiser, and saw an AEPhi who wore her pin in such a creative way, no one could tell at a glance that it was a sorority pin!

She had her pin properly placed, then every dangle she'd ever earned on a separate link of the chain to her guard, then the guard, with only a slight dip. It was stunning, to say the least!

This is how all girls on my campus wore their badges... what have you seen that is different from this?

honeychile · #12 10-30-2002, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sororitygirl2

This is how all girls on my campus wore their badges... what have you seen that is different from this?

I'm impressed! A lot of chapters don't wear a guard at all (which I find borderline tacky, but that's me). The ones that do just have the dangles put on the guard so they slip into each other. As an alumna, I've heard that I'm to take my guard off, but I'm thinking of having the dangles individually hung, like the one I saw.

Maybe it's a campus thing?

honeychile

violets · #13 10-30-2002, 01:05 AM

Quote:

As an alumna, I've heard that I'm to take my guard off, but I'm thinking of having the dangles individually hung, like the one I saw.

Where would you put your alumna dangles if you took off your guard?

I have an alumna association dangle and an advising dangle...so I need and love the guard!

violets

KappaStargirl · #14 10-30-2002, 01:35 AM

My take: Wear it. You cannot lose. My philosophy on this:

If you wear it, and the person interviewing you is Greek, you have an instant bond.

If you wear it, and the person has no clue as to what it is, he or she may just think you're wearing a pretty pin. Maybe I'm prejudiced in this because I have a pin that's shaped like an object.

If you wear it, and your interviewer won't hire you just because he or she is anti-Greek, you never wanted to work for him/her anyway.

wptw · #15 10-30-2002, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by KappaStargirl
If you wear it, and your interviewer won't hire you just because he or she is anti-Greek, you never wanted to work for him/her anyway.

You know, this is fine if you're interviewing for your first job out of college and you really don't need the money anyway. But for those people with actual bills and actual dependants who are actually trying to get a lucrative career started, you don't want something trivial to sabotage your interview.

I've received probably 500 resumes in the 10 years or so that I've been working, and I've interviewed perhaps 50 people. Personally, I only expect to see Greek affiliation on a resume if the candidate is still an undergrad or is a recent graduate, and then only if it is mentioned in the context of leadership training or holding an elected position. I don't like to see people just list "member, XYZ sorority" because it looks like they're just taking a shot in the dark hoping someone in the company is a member. I'm Greek and I feel that way. Imagine how non-greeks feel. This is typically a pet peeve of theirs. If you've been out of school a few years, I recommend leaving affiliation off the resume, unless you've got something really special to attach to it like a national officer position or something. My thinking is, GLOs are a great place to gain experience that will be helpful in the real world, but by 3 years after graduation you darn well better have some ACTUAL real world experience to fill up your resume.

As far as badges go, "conventional" wisdom among professionals is to leave off the badge, and I tend to agree for the same reasons listed above. Like it or not, more people have a negative association with GLOs than a positive. If you can afford to be idealistic, by all means choose not to work for anti-Greeks. If you're a realist and/or you want a paycheck, be practical and maximize your chances of getting the job. That means, be conservative in all aspects of appearance. A small recognition pin or charm MAYBE. But certainly not a big shiny jewelled hunk of gold with skulls on it and stuff dangling off of it.

This applies mainly to "corporate/professional" environments. That's where my experience is. The more "artsy" professions might have a different take.

Hope that's helpful.

wptw