Work It Out!—How to Use Your Sorority Network TO Network

Every member of our A-List team is an alumna from a sorority; we are proud Greek women who are always willing and excited to involve other Greek women in our projects. When we are in need of a little extra expertise or spare hands on deck, we first turn to the Greek community.

Unsurprisingly, we aren’t the only ladies in business to feel this way; Greek alums from all over the country, whether she’s a recent grad or graduated decades ago, still have a fierce loyalty to their respective chapters. Why not ask among sisters if anyone is looking for an opportunity if you have one to offer? So how, as a collegian, can you tap into that wealth of networking and information? Here at A-List, we’re revealing 5 tips to get you on your way!

Tip 1: Update your cyber networks. First, update your resume to not only include your sorority affiliation, but also to reflect any positions you’ve held, committees you’ve served on, or projects you’ve spearheaded.  Trust us, it’s not bragging if it’s on your resume.

Next, update your LinkedIn profiles to be as accurate as possible, and then join any nationally organized sorority networks to which you belong. Many national sororities have private groups on LinkedIn that you can only join if you are a member of that organization, so use your letters to your advantage.

From there, you never know which high profile sister or recruiting alum will reach out to you—and don’t be afraid of making the first move either!

Tip 2: Go to Leadership Conferences or Sorority Conventions. If you are on the Executive Board, usually this is a given, but if you’re not, then one more thing to aspire to! Leadership Conferences and National Conventions put you in touch with some of the organization’s national leaders, employees, and well connected alumnae. Use that charm that made you everyone’s rush crush and connect with powers that be. You never know, maybe that Chapter Advisor from California has a connection with Disney, and in a couple of years, you’re Disney’s newest Imagineer!

Tip 3: Attend as many events with alumnae and parents as you can; alumnae who have been out in the world will definitely have a tip or two for the current collegian, about-to-be-grad, or freshly minted adult. Again, they will always want a sister in that new assistant role that opened up at the office or the latest program coder position created at her tech company; it creates an instant connection. Same thing goes for parents events. Want to go to law school? Your housemate probably has a lawyer parent who can connect you with an internship at a law firm. Want to work in public relations? Well your Big’s parents run press junkets for the local professional sports, so ask to work one. The possibilities are endless for this one.

Tip 4: Keep up with those networks—the social networks! Though LinkedIn is seen as the most traditional networking site, your on-the-reg social media accounts can hold networking possibilities for you too. Join chapter pages and groups on Facebook and check every so often to see if a sister has posted about an opportunity. With that being said, maybe hide those Date Party pictures so just a close circle of friends can see and update your profile picture to a professional headshot?

Tip 5: Lastly, just put your feelers out there. Vocalize to sisters what you want to be doing and what field you are interested in. This includes chapter advisors and the rest of your advisory board. Word of mouth spreads fast, so when your advisor has that perfect traveling sales position available, she’ll come straight to you and tell you about it! Just talking to a sister may reap a great return!

Once You Get the Part: Dress to impress! Take badge attire to a whole new, mature, and professional level by investing in some high quality blazers, blouses, and pencil skirts. Our friends at College Candy have compiled a list of wardrobe must have’s for your latest job or  internship!

There you have it A-Listers! Some tricks of the trade that are simple enough to squeeze into your hectic schedules, but will get you in and keep you ahead of the game. Some of these tips have been personally tested by members of our team, so they get our stamp of approval!

Any other tips or tricks you want to share with us? What have you found to be the most effective strategy to connect and network within your organizations? Let A-List know! Comment below with your best networking how-to’s and help some sisters out!