'T-shirt Chair' on Resume

[NutBrnHair]

I will attempt to explain this very simply --- and then I will go away and let you rip me to shreds.

1. If you believe your membership in your GLO is for a lifetime and more valuable to you than your membership in a health club, I think it belongs on your resume. In my case, I only included the high level offices I held as a collegian, along with other extra curricular involvement e.g., Student Government and Class Officer.

2. I have only applied for jobs in the South and Midwest, so I was never afraid that it would be viewed negatively.

3. It truly stuns me that posters/moderators on a GreekChat site care enough to be on here everyday and comment on hundreds of threads, but choose not to include their membership on a resume.

But, of course, I agree -- if I'd only served as T-shirt Chair, I wouldn't list that either.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I will attempt to explain this very simply --- and then I will go away and let you rip me to shreds.

1. If you believe your membership in your GLO is for a lifetime and more valuable to you than your membership in a health club, I think it belongs on your resume. In my case, I only included the high level offices I held as a collegian, along with other extra curricular involvement e.g., Student Government and Class Officer.

2. I have only applied for jobs in the South and Midwest, so I was never afraid that it would be viewed negatively.

3. It truly stuns me that posters/moderators on a GreekChat site care enough to be on here everyday and comment on hundreds of threads, but choose not to include their membership on a resume.

But, of course, I agree -- if I'd only served as T-shirt Chair, I wouldn't list that either.

Am I not able to remain active in my GLO if it's not listed on my resume?

What if I have 4 work-related internships that would be beneficial in a new position. Should I remove one so that I can have room for my GLO?

I do have my fraternity listed on one of my resumes and I'm in the South, but to insinuate that folks are "less than" because they don't list their affiliations is silly.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I have only applied for jobs in the South and Midwest, so I was never afraid that it would be viewed negatively.

Surely you grasp the concept that your experience does not mirror everone else's experience.

It truly stuns me that posters/moderators on a GreekChat site care enough to be on here everyday and comment on hundreds of threads, but choose not to include their membership on a resume.

Feel free to be stunned. I would list it on my resume, but I hope I would never be rude or condescending enough to suggest that someone who made a different choice was an embarrassment to her sorority.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Surely you grasp the concept that your experience does not mirror everone else's experience.

Feel free to be stunned. I would list it on my resume, but I hope I would never be rude or condescending enough to suggest that someone who made a different choice was an embarrassment to her sorority.

Agreed. I'm stunned that someone would be so bold as to question my allegiance to my fraternity based on what I put on my resume. But, to each their own.

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I will attempt to explain this very simply --- and then I will go away and let you rip me to shreds.

1. If you believe your membership in your GLO is for a lifetime and more valuable to you than your membership in a health club, I think it belongs on your resume. In my case, I only included the high level offices I held as a collegian, along with other extra curricular involvement e.g., Student Government and Class Officer.

I don't just leave off my Greek membership; I leave off all of my undergrad extra curriculars. I was president of a couple of organizations related to my majors, an assistant editor of the college paper, and in multiple college theater productions. None of that stuff has been on my resume since I graduated law school. IMHO, it looks immature to include that stuff after you are a few years out of undergrad. I put it on my first resumes because I wanted to show that I had high grades and was able to balance a very busy schedule. I have no extracurriculars on my resume currently -- only academics, academic honors, and professional activities. My clerkship and my bar committees are more important to my career than KD. I love KD, but it's not relevant to my career. I know a ton of lawyers who are Greek, but no one I know puts it on their resumes. It's not relevant to anything we do.

I would only put that stuff on my resume if it relevant to the job I was immediately applying for -- ie. a writing job or a student affairs job or a theater job.

A resume is a short introduction on why someone should hire you. I don't think anyone should hire me because I am a KD or Greek. They should hire me because I'm good at my job.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

3. It truly stuns me that posters/moderators on a GreekChat site care enough to be on here everyday and comment on hundreds of threads, but choose not to include their membership on a resume.

Then this may really stun you. I did not attend my alumnae chapter meeting last week. I know...I know...I am on Greekchat almost everyday but could not go to my alumnae chapter meeting. It does not matter why I did not attend. The fact that I did not attend means that Delta should hang me from Fortitude.

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

But, of course, I agree -- if I'd only served as T-shirt Chair, I wouldn't list that either.

Then you are that which you despise. It does not matter whether you were t-shirt chair or leather chair. GLO membership is GLO membership, right? Details and context do not matter.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I think this post is being overly dramatic. LOL.

I was responding to the overly dramatic post portraying Sorority Obsessed File Clerk seeing a resume with Greek letters on it and tearing it to shreds with her teeth.

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I will attempt to explain this very simply --- and then I will go away and let you rip me to shreds.

1. If you believe your membership in your GLO is for a lifetime and more valuable to you than your membership in a health club, I think it belongs on your resume. In my case, I only included the high level offices I held as a collegian, along with other extra curricular involvement e.g., Student Government and Class Officer.

I would wager most people of faith put their religion above a health club membership and think it is for life (and beyond) yet I don't see a whole lot of religious affiliations on a 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!

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I will attempt to explain this very simply --- and then I will go away and let you rip me to shreds.

1. If you believe your membership in your GLO is for a lifetime and more valuable to you than your membership in a health club, I think it belongs on your resume. In my case, I only included the high level offices I held as a collegian, along with other extra curricular involvement e.g., Student Government and Class Officer.

2. I have only applied for jobs in the South and Midwest, so I was never afraid that it would be viewed negatively.

3. It truly stuns me that posters/moderators on a GreekChat site care enough to be on here everyday and comment on hundreds of threads, but choose not to include their membership on a resume.

But, of course, I agree -- if I'd only served as T-shirt Chair, I wouldn't list that either.

I have only ever applied for jobs in the South (btw - we're in the same state). I am proud of my membership in Kappa. However, I was an active member about 20 years ago. I don't include anything that I did when I was in college on my resume other than where I attended, my degrees, my major, and the year I graduated. It has to do with marketing myself to what I want to accomplish; despite my affection for Kappa, I've accomplished much in that time that is more relevant in my career. I would think most people at this stage in the game are in a similar boat, unless they've worked exclusively for their GLO since graduation.

If I were to advise a recent college grad on writing a resume, I would not advise them to go crazy with the GLO-oriented activities. Not because some HR clerk may have a grudge against XYZ or Greeks in general, but because heavy focus on any one aspect when you're starting out causes a candidate to appear less well-rounded.

[excelblue]

I should seriously consider applying for jobs in the midwest and south by the sounds of it.

Here (in California), the negative stereotypes ring so true that most people think you're serious when you joke about them. I had a few brothers who used to jokingly respond to the question "so, you in a frat?" with something among the lines of "yeah, I'm in a frat, we black out, rape women, and drink goat blood," and it gets taken 100% seriously, with a simultaneous look of disgust and extreme discomfort.

Of course, despite all of that, we all know what actually happens, and I still proudly "wear my letters." My fraternity will definitely get its place in interviews and date, but just not on most resumes.

[DGTess]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

snip

If I were to advise a recent college grad on writing a resume, I would not advise them to go crazy with the GLO-oriented activities. Not because some HR clerk may have a grudge against XYZ or Greeks in general, but because heavy focus on any one aspect when you're starting out causes a candidate to appear less well-rounded.

I advise new grads to include the activity that gave them the experience, but simply to say "chapter of a national sorority". No sense losing a chance over something you can control - even if it is only remotely possible. It's not the sorority (or fraternity) the employer is looking for - usually - it's the experience. If the interviewer is interested, s/he'll ask which organization.

I include some DG activities on my resume, for certain positions, because some of my alumnae activities are demonstrative of my skills, not because they're DG. It doesn't matter whether activities are paid or not; the experience is defined by the extent, scope, and breadth of the activity. If an activity clearly demonstrates a level of responsibility, a leadership capacity, a collaborative nature, or whatever, that is of value to the employer, include it.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by GeekyPenguin

I would wager most people of faith put their religion above a health club membership and think it is for life (and beyond) yet I don't see a whole lot of religious affiliations on a resume.

Pretty much.

By the time I started looking for jobs in my field, I had already received a MS and had a history of publications. Since I was still only 24 and looking for experience, there was no need for my resume to be longer than one page. I can't stand seeing resumes of people under 90 that are pages and pages long. With that in mind, I've never put my Greek affiliation on my resume--I figure where I went to school, where I worked, and the journals for which I've written are more relevant to my future employers.

Also, I'm in a creative field. Greek life isn't that popular in some of the creative fields...I believe I'm one of 2 or 3 Greeks (if that!) in my office of 60.

Of course, this only applies to my professional resume--I have a volunteer/philanthropic resume that does include Greek life involvement. But, since I'm more removed from my office-holding days, there's not much it requires beyond a line or two.

[KSigkid]

[QUOTE=Munchkin03;2101493] With that in mind, I've never put my Greek affiliation on my resume--I figure where I went to school, where I worked, and the journals for which I've written are more relevant to my future employers.[\QUOTE]

Agreed. In my field, there are a number of other things (journal editor positions, moot court/mock trial, etc.) that are of greater importance to potential employers. As I go on in my career, that will remain true (i.e. my practice areas, trial/appellate experience, etc.).