What I Learned From My Sorority Days

As most of you know, I joined a sorority during my time at UC Davis. I sang the silly songs (but I still loved them!), learned the secret handshake, went to frat parties, and came out of college with some of the best friends I could ever have. I learned a lot of valuable lessons that have shaped the person that I am today. 
Confidence & Demonstrating Courage I went into recruitment as a fairly shy person and that completely changed when I joined Theta. Running small meetings, making important decisions, and meeting new people everyday forced me to come out of my shell and be more confident in my choices and in myself. I never realized how being in a sorority prepared me for job interviews and the corporate world until I got hired in a big retail store. Going through recruitment is sort of like going through a job interview (except in cuter clothes!). Learning to be more confident during college has helped me manage and develop 250+ employees in my store. I'm in charge of the recruiting and onboarding process in the store and without the leadership lessons that I learned from my time at Theta, I think it would be difficult for me to run the store's weekly new team member orientation. Now, I am a voice for others who might be afraid to speak up for themselves.
Collaborating With Others It's not always easy to put 150 different ideas together, but it can be done. Recruitment is a crazy time and it's not always pretty. I've learned to listen to other people's ideas and collaborate with them. I blame my Sagittarius side, but usually, I like things my way and I am steadfast with my decisions. This is something that I continue to struggle with, but it is definitely something I can improve. I'm still learning that sometimes there is more than one correct answer and that is perfectly fine. Collaborating with others can bring out different options and ideas that you haven't thought of. At my job, I also run community events and donations. During the last few months, I've opened up and listened to suggestions from my peers on different fundraising ideas and volunteer events for the store. Together, we were able to raise money for local schools and get over 750 volunteer hours.
Dress For Success In both recruitment and job interviews, always dress for success. I've interviewed so many applicants that came in sweat pants and not received second interviews. Make sure you are presenting yourself in the best possible light. You cannot change the first impression! Take some time to think about how you want to present yourself to others. 

Looking back, I am truly grateful for the experiences and lessons. Theta gave me the opportunity to learn and grow as a sister and as a leader. After all, networking is just socializing but with a purpose! Right? 
Were you in a sorority in college? What is one thing that you have learned from your sorority?