Five Ways To Effectively Highlight Your Undergrad NPHC Experience On Your Resume

Being Greek is an honor and a privilege and the skills and relationships we develop can and will last a lifetime if you use them correctly. Your greek organizational skills should be used as stepping stones to your new career & new journey outside the yard. A new career is going to require skills and qualifications. Your organization has taught you many valuable skills which you can use for your next journey in life…

Some of your Greek skills are universal. They can be parlayed effectively into any profession.

Here are some skills and ideas which will help you gain that new career.

1. Leadership

Did you serve as a chapter officer? Dean of intake? Chair of a program? Do you have the ability to encourage and inspire people? Can you motivate others to excel at their duties? You might want to apply for a management position. Even if you are not a manager in your new career, those leadership skills will be useful on your resume.

2. Relationship Building

Did you have to attend meetings? Did you have to host parties and events to promote your sororities or fraternities mission and programs? Did you have to network with others to carry out a directive or assignment? Regardless of the task or position, you need to relate well with your coworkers and management. You need to be able to build relationships with your coworkers, staff or business associates. Interacting with others is a facet of every profession. Your Social greek skills will pay off!

3. Commitment

Do you remember those long nights of step practice? Those frustrating committee meetings trying to get on the same sheet of music with your frat or sorors!? Guess what? That was commitment! You were passionate about what you were doing and the organization you were representing. That same commitment is needed in the corporate world. You didn’t know it at the time but you had the motivation that went beyond a paycheck! That same motivation and commitment is needed in your career! Your level of commitment to a job will help you farther than many. If you are not completely committed to your job, you can pretend that you are. In other words, ‘fake it til you make it.’ We as greeks have all had to do that at point or another.

4. Volunteerism

Service goes without saying when it comes to our D9 family! Unpaid labor is an added bonus with any employer. If you’re committed and motivated with moving up and forward, volunteer in your industry!

5. Choose Your Mentor!

Did you have a big brother or big sister that looked out for you? Did you know an old head on the yard or in the local graduate chapter that you admired? If you did, great! If not, it’s time to get busy! You need a mentor in your professional life. Pick someone to emulate and learn everything about them. Schedule a meeting with the top executive in your company and ask if they have the time to mentor you. A closed mouth doesn’t get fed.

You have the motivation, the skills and the commitment to soar and rise to the top in any career! Your greek skills and experiences are more of an advantage to you then you think! Use them wisely…
T. Denise Manning, Author, HBCU Life Coach, Business Owner. Sigma Gamma Rho.