'T-shirt Chair' on Resume

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

I always find it slightly amusing when people only think about finding things to include on their resumes when it's time to write the resume. This should be considered years in advance.

I've taught my niece, now a junior in HS, to be aware of what is resume-worthy for years. She wondered if it sounded boastful to include should the fact that she has over 350 community hours so far when her school only requires 40 hours to graduate. I think she's too modest - I think it's incredible!

[excelblue]

Based on the description, it seems like a substantial position with an extremely bad title. If I were you, I'd talk to your sisters about getting the title changed, not just for your own sake, but just also for the self-esteem of those who would hold the position in the future.

Suggestions: "Procurement Chair", "Inventory Chair", "Logistics Chair", "Assistant ..."

We call ours the "Spirit and Special Orders Chair." It sounds a little more involved.

[KSUViolet06]

This is going to make me sound terrible but I didn't put ANYTHING sorority on my resume that wasn't something I felt would impress an employer/grad program. Ex: I was Awards chair once. I made the awards we handed out at formal. I didn't really think that needed to be on my resume. Birthday Sunshine chair? Nope. Public Relations chair? Yes.

[kddani]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

This is going to make me sound terrible but I didn't put ANYTHING sorority on my resume that wasn't something I felt would impress an employer/grad program. Ex: I was Awards chair once. I made the awards we handed out at formal. I didn't really think that needed to be on my resume. Birthday Sunshine chair? Nope. Public Relations chair? Yes.

It seems that college advisers/career services offices encourage these kids to put anything and everything on their resume to fill up the space. Because, let's face it, most college kids don't have much to put on their resumes.

Over the past year, I have had two college students contact me through various networks asking to talk to me about being a lawyer/professional in our area. One kid was a senior had so much stuff on his resume - but he was a rare case where a lot of it was actually good stuff. I helped him make it work for him more. Quantify things wherever possible and list accomplishments for each activity. For instance, helped grow membership by X percent. Not only does it show the results of your leadership, but they make great talking points for interviews.

The other student was a sophomore and had almost nothing on her resume. She was a member of a honors GLO and filled up half a page with BS descriptions of her activities in that GLO that I knew were BS and meaningless. I called her out on it, and explained to her the kinds of things she should get involved in. It was her only activity, she didn't work (the only employment she'd ever had was one summer working as a cashier) - I asked her what she did with all of her time. To me, I'm not all that impressed if someone got good grades in undergrad but didn't hold down a job or have very active participation in other activities.

In general, though, most law schools don't really care much about undergrad extracurriculars. That is, unless you had some sort of really unique and fantastic experience, or something high profile - student body president or something of the sort. Or if it's a law school with interviews, that might be more important. A non-elected position in a GLO isn't going to mean much.

[littleowl33]

Originally Posted by kddani

In general, though, most law schools don't really care much about undergrad extracurriculars. That is, unless you had some sort of really unique and fantastic experience, or something high profile - student body president or something of the sort. Or if it's a law school with interviews, that might be more important. A non-elected position in a GLO isn't going to mean much.

This. Law school admissions is overwhelmingly GPA + LSAT. In my experience, undergrad extracurriculars are not a big deal at all.

As a (somewhat) recent grad I understand wanting to include as much as possible on your resume, especially since you may not have a lot to work with, but I would definitely leave this off (but do keep your GLO affiliation on there). Focus on your grades and LSAT instead.

Good luck!

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by littleowl33

This. Law school admissions is overwhelmingly GPA + LSAT. In my experience, undergrad extracurriculars are not a big deal at all.

As a (somewhat) recent grad I understand wanting to include as much as possible on your resume, especially since you may not have a lot to work with, but I would definitely leave this off (but do keep your GLO affiliation on there). Focus on your grades and LSAT instead.

Good luck!

I totally agree. You need to have some extracurriculars to show that you have good social skills and aren't a freak, but extracurriculars are the least important part of the application. It's mostly GPA + LSAT. You get more consideration for attending a good undergraduate program and for having a hard major.

If you have other extracurricular leadership positions, I would include those and leave this off.


I would include any philanthropy work you did with your sorority. I would just list the position as "volunteer" if you weren't a chair. The admissions committee is going to be more impressed by philanthropy work than social leadership positions in the sorority.

If you don't have any philanthropy or leadership, I would find some volunteer work to do.

[DGTess]

Originally Posted by littleowl33

This. Law school admissions is overwhelmingly GPA + LSAT. In my experience, undergrad extracurriculars are not a big deal at all.

As a (somewhat) recent grad I understand wanting to include as much as possible on your resume, especially since you may not have a lot to work with, but I would definitely leave this off (but do keep your GLO affiliation on there). Focus on your grades and LSAT instead.

Good luck!

Agree with keeping GLO on the resume (for jobs - I have no experience with the grad-school resume), but think long and hard about whether to name it or whether simply to state "University" chapter of a national sorority.

You may be asked about it at the interview, but you want to avoid the lowly HR clerk who thinks "XYZ - a bunch of divas" or "I'm not forwarding an XYZ; they dropped me first round" and tosses the resume.

Does it happen often? No, but it does happen, and you don't want to give any reason for yours to be in the "no" stack.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DGTess

Agree with keeping GLO on the resume (for jobs - I have no experience with the grad-school resume), but think long and hard about whether to name it or whether simply to state "University" chapter of a national sorority.

You may be asked about it at the interview, but you want to avoid the lowly HR clerk who thinks "XYZ - a bunch of divas" or "I'm not forwarding an XYZ; they dropped me first round" and tosses the resume.

Does it happen often? No, but it does happen, and you don't want to give any reason for yours to be in the "no" stack.

The other side of that coin is that if you don't name it, people might think that you're ashamed of your chapter, or that you're bullshitting about the whole thing.

I'm sure there are also lowly HR clerks with grudges against student-athletes, or people from ABC University, or people from Erie, or people who were on student senate. Who would also throw those resumes out.

You can't go through life being frightened of being derailed by someone else's psychosis.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

This is going to make me sound terrible but I didn't put ANYTHING sorority on my resume that wasn't something I felt would impress an employer/grad program. Ex: I was Awards chair once. I made the awards we handed out at formal. I didn't really think that needed to be on my resume. Birthday Sunshine chair? Nope. Public Relations chair? Yes.

That doesn't sound terrible. I'm a lawyer, and the only Greek-related items on my resume are Order of Omega and my Kappa Sigma scholarship (even though I was President of my chapter). Living in the Northeast, it's just not something I've found beneficial in job interviews.

[Splash]

One of my friends put it on her resume as "Director of Apparel" however she was applying to a graphic design company.

[katydidKD]

Originally Posted by mocotro

How have you guys best presented being T-shirt Chair for your GLO on professional resumes? I am applying to law school want to include it to show active involvement in my sorority, but I have been told that it seems frivolous or even detrimental. Thanks!

we called ours "personal presence" something like that or "apparel manager" but everyone else is probably right in saying leave it off.

[KSUViolet06]

This thread reminds me of how Abercrombie calls their employees Models. Um, ok. If you say so.

[honeychile]

I don't know if they still have it, but our terminology for anything that was ordered for or by the chapter was called Purchasing and Acquisitions. It does have a much nicer ring to it - which does NOT mean that I think you should use it, if you're trying to pump up a resume. This was a legitimate term; borrowing it (if you're busted) would make you look terribly cheap.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

This thread reminds me of how Abercrombie calls their employees Models. Um, ok. If you say so.

IIRC, this is to allow AF to be able to dictate its employees' looks (ex. You're too skinny/fat/tall/tan, so work on that or else you're fired).