Success after college is one of the biggest weights on student’s backs from the time they step foot on campus, to the time they throw their caps at graduation. But what if there was a sure-fire way to find that success after graduation? Would you take it?

Success is measured differently for everyone, but there are a few objective rungs on the ladder to success that can get you on your way. Networking, leadership, and social skills are all key aspects of finding success, and they’re also key selling points for collegiate Greek Life. Greek Life has been around for hundreds of years with Pi Beta Kappa being founded in 1776. Some of the most successful people in recent history have been Greek Life alumnae including Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Michael Jordan, and Aretha Franklin, and have attributed some of their success to the tremendous benefits they gained from their organizations.

Networking is a key factor in getting one’s foot in the door, and eventually climbing the ladder and reaching that top rung of success. Greek Life gives it members a great deal of opportunities to meet people and network while still in college so that when graduation comes, they will already be one step ahead for finding contacts at jobs. Statistically speaking, for someone who joins their fraternity or sorority in their first year at college and stays for all four years (assuming a small to medium chapter size like UE) their brother or sisterhood would total around 100 people. On top of that number, each member also has contacts with everyone in the national organization as well. So, for example, if you were in the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at UE, you may on average have 30 members in your chapter each year, but you also have over 9,500 current active undergraduate members across the country who you also have contacts with (Phi Gam). As well as all the brothers/ sisters you will get, being in Greek Life exposes you to many different sets of people on your campus that you probably would not have been exposed to otherwise. People like the on-campus chapter advisors, Greek advisors, student engagement directors, and even the Dean of Students and President.

Along with networking, a major key to success is leadership experience, and Greek Life gives its members some amazing opportunities. Within each chapter, there are many different leadership positions that need to be filled each year. In Zeta Tau Alpha at UE, there are 32 unique positions with varying degrees of time commitment and importance. By having a leadership position in Greek Life, members are given ample opportunity to take find their leadership style, take risks, and fail while having a safety net below them. According to Dr. John Dugan, Co- Founder and Chief Research and Development Officer at the Center for Expanding Leadership & Opportunity in Chicago, “Membership in social fraternities and sororities provides a powerful platform for developing college students’ capacity for leadership”.

Along with leadership opportunities in one’s own chapter, Greek Life also gives members the opportunity to attend leadership conferences. When asked about how his leadership positions have helped him grow, Nico Borrelli, a sophomore Phi Gamma Delta at UE explained that his biggest takeaway has been patience. Nico explained that as Recruitment Chairman for FIJI, he had to deal with immense anticipation and build up and says, “it helped me develop to be more patient so now when I am interviewing for jobs, I am used to the anticipation and the waiting.” Nico went on to explain that in his current role as Recording Secretary, he is actively learning better task management skills that will also help him in his future.

The final aspect of Greek Life that sets its members up for success post grad is the social aspect. Sororities and fraternities are known for their sociability, both on campus and in their communities. Through philanthropic efforts as well as recruitment, sororities and fraternities are seemingly always interacting with new people. This helps force growth in social intelligence, which is a major factor in success. According to Karl Albrecht in his book “Social Intelligence: The New Science of Success,” social intelligence is a key factor in how successful people are seen as. Dr. Rachel Carpenter, Dean of Students at the University of Evansville, and alumna of the Zeta Alpha chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha talked highly of the social aspect of Greek Life in the realm of conflict management. She stated that during her time in ZTA, although she never held a position, “Greek Life has helped me bring out the conflict resolution side of me that has helped in my professional career.” Dr. Carpenter has been highly successful in all of her endeavors, and thanks Greek Life for helping the parts of her that she might not have seen in herself blossom more fully.

The opportunities that Greek Life offers its members is unlike any other organization and although nothing in life is guaranteed, the experience you get when you go Greek can set you up on a path to success. If you are interested in joining Greek Life here at UE, reach out to @UEGreeks on Instagram, and watch out for the formal recruitment posts coming out soon!