If you have gone through primary recruitment, it is likely you are familiar with recruitment counselors. Recruitment counselors, often called by many different names on campuses such as rho gamma or gamma chi, are older sorority members who empower and guide potential new members through their own recruitment experiences.
Recruitment counselors are easily some of the most important players in the formal recruitment process. These women set the tone for a student’s entire Panhellenic experience, often serving as the first mentor our potential new members have in college. If you are on the fence about applying for your collegiate recruitment counselor program, perhaps the items below will help give you the nudge you need to take the plunge.
These are just a few of the ways that applying to serve in this role can change your collegiate sorority experience for the better:
Representing something bigger than yourself.
The role of a recruitment counselor requires a love for not only your chapter and organization but also the Panhellenic experience. Recruitment counselors get to represent the Panhellenic community as a whole to an entire group of potential new members. Whether these potential new members join the community or not, recruitment counselors get to display our common Panhellenic values to all participants in the recruitment experience. What a way to make an impact on not only your chapter but the broader community as well!
An even bigger sisterhood to be a part of.
Ask any past recruitment counselor and they will likely tell you they left the experience with lifelong friends in other chapters. If you are interested in growing your Panhellenic sisterhood outside of just your chapter, applying to be a recruitment counselor is an amazing way to do just that. You form bonds with more Panhellenic women and come to learn more about their experiences in their chapters, giving you a greater understanding of Panhellenic sisterhood.
Serving as a mentor for students joining the community.
If you are on the fence about applying for your Panhellenic’s recruitment counselor program, take some time to think about your most impactful mentor relationships. What made those people in your life excellent mentors? How did their guidance and support impact you? If you want to be that person for someone else, there’s no time like the present. Recruitment counselors get to have an impact unlike any other on incoming students. We need strong, capable women to mentor our newest members before, during and after their recruitment experience. Seeing the women you work with find their place on campus and begin flourishing in the sorority community, is a feeling of accomplishment and pride all recruitment counselors have the privilege of experiencing.
Expanding your impact and growing your leadership skills for life after college.
Recruitment counselors face a variety of experiences that can help to build strong leadership skills. From leading small or large groups, having tough conversations, navigating intricate schedules and more. Recruitment counselors are able to build their leadership skills throughout their recruitment experiences and use these skills in future jobs and internships. These positions are a great way to grow personally and make a real, lasting impact in your community along the way.
Developing valuable skills unmatched by any other campus position.
It is no secret that the Panhellenic formal recruitment process can be a bit of an undertaking. Whether virtual or in-person, large or small campus, primary recruitment poises recruitment counselors to develop skills and experiences their peers on campus (and even in their own Panhellenic community) won’t get. Navigating diverse personalities, quickly establishing rapport with many groups of people, assisting in understanding complex processes and schedules and even building empathy and understanding are all skills recruitment counselors can grow and develop through their experiences serving in this role.
If any of these items speak to you, perhaps looking into serving your Panhellenic community in this way is a great place to start. Check with your College Panhellenic for application details and timelines. Serving as a recruitment counselor is a great way to make a lasting impact on your Panhellenic community.
Written by Kylie Frisby