National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities are social organizations, but they also provide leadership training and career development opportunities for their members.
One of the priorities of each organization is to provide its members with the necessary skills to thrive in a professional environment. Even the way Panhellenic organizations operate, it’s structured like a business where a member can hold a title with specific responsibilities. Check out the list below to see an outline of a few professional benefits of joining a sorority that you can take advantage of throughout your lifetime.
Joining a sorority gives you professional skills you’ll use for a lifetime.
Introduction to New Ideas and Newfound Goals Throughout College
We all enter into college with a purpose, even if you start off with an “undeclared” major. You’re finding your passion and taking a step toward your professional future. More often than not, college students change their majors and minors multiple times throughout their undergraduate years. Joining a sorority provides you with individuals who are all in different programs and learning different things. When you join, your network expands overnight, and you have a plethora of women who are all in different majors or classes to talk to if you’re thinking you may want to go on a different track.
Access to an Alumnae Network While an Undergraduate Student
Along the same lines as having a whole new network with your collegiate chapter sisters, you additionally have an expanded network with alumnae members as well. Take the opportunity to reach out to women who are currently working in the very field you hope to go into to gain key insights into how your role may look once you join the workforce. When you graduate, continue to be invovled with the alumnae chapter (and/or an Alumnae Panhellenic Association) near you – you never know when you may need connections.
Scholarship Financial Support
Many chapters, inter/national and Alumnae Panhellenic Associations have specific scholarships for their members that are available to be used throughout their time in college and beyond. These scholarships are dedicated to the academic pursuits of their members and depending on the organization and their requirements, any collegiate member or alumna has the opportunity to apply. For example, if you are a collegiate member and your statistics class is taking a trip to a different country for some summer research, you can apply for a scholarship within your organization that may cover the cost. Or perhaps you’re an alumna and your boss wants you to attend a conference, but you can’t go due to funding, you may be able to apply for a scholarship in some organizations! The opportunities are endless and sororities care about assisting their members with their professional pursuits throughout their lifetime.
Training and Institutes
All sororities have the goal to prepare their members as leaders. That’s why every year there are often leadership training and institutes for members to attend. These institutes or conferences last several days and include workshops where members work together to build their leadership skills. Some days it will be a deep dive into learning what kind of leader you are and the next it will be learning and practicing communication skills and working with small groups. The possibilities are endless. However, the goal to grow members as leaders for their chapters and beyond remains the same.
Leadership Opportunities
A sorority’s collegiate chapters as well as the College Panhellenic Association on campus are all run in a business-like structure. There are executive and committee leadership positions that all contribute to the success of the chapter and its continued progress. There are a wide variety of ways members can contribute and build their skills within an organization. The skills gained range from public speaking, goal setting, event planning and execution and more. These roles can even be added to a professional resume as the positions are typically held for a year and often bring as much responsibility as a part-time job.
Sororities understand you only have several years of being a collegiate member in their organization. Every Panhellenic organization is dedicated to providing their members with opportunities that give them important lifelong leadership skills to excel once they graduate. The professional skill building that takes place throughout one’s Panhellenic experience will definitely make you stand out on a resume as you gain many new skills and knowledge in a short amount of time.