Do Fraternities Look Good on a Resume?

 Fraternities play a huge part in many people’s college life experience. And it makes sense that when it comes time to get your resume ready for job market that you want to know if you should include the Frat.

Well, short answer: yes. Of course!

Longer answer is that it makes a lot of sense to have your fraternity on your resume. There are very few downsides, and a multitude of upsides.

What I always tell people is to consider the amount of time you spent working on Fraternity related projects, your overall involvement with the Frat and all things Greek Life, and then consider if you would like that time and effort represented on your resume, or left off?

We’ll review some of the concerns you might have about listing a Fraternity on your resume, as well the real reasons why I think it makes perfect sense to list your Fraternity on your resume.

Why Do Fraternities Look Good on Your Resume?

First, let’s address the major issue that guys tend to be concerned about: the image of “frats” among the general public.

Alright, right off you’ve got to understand that much like with Sororities, the majority of professionals have a positive connotation of frats. Hollywood, on the other hand, creates a stereotype.

But as we discussed in that other article, Hollywood is filled with people who never went to college. Many never graduated High School. The industry is filled with nepotism. As someone who has recruited for major entertainment firms, there is an unfortunately high number of uneducated and under informed people working in the media.

Of course, these people have the incentive to ridicule colleges and universities. Movies create a false sense of college life. Of course, Hollywood and it’s inhabitants are not known for creating realistic depictions of any segment of the country, so why would this be different?

But take it from someone who has interfaced with countless professionals across many industries. In most cases, Frats were seen as a positive on resumes. In no cases were they seen as negatives. Even if the hiring manager wasn’t in a Fraternity, they (if they were college graduates) understand the real  life place that frats have in college life.

So, why exactly do Fraternities look good on your resume?

• They demonstrate responsibility
• They show that you’re social
• They show commitment

All of these issues are important because they are all things that potential employers like to see on a resume. It means that the person who they are considering is someone who has the ability to be a successful part of the company.

Does Being in a Fraternity Help You Get a Job?

It certainly can help you land a job. For one thing, if you happen to send your resume in to a company where the hiring manager is a former fraternity brother, then you’re going to have a step up on the competition.

There are many professionals in corporate environments who were in fraternities, and even more who were in college and have a positive experience of Greek life.

So, it’s a form of reference. If there are two people who have similar qualifications, then the hiring manager would look fondly upon the candidate who has been in a frat—something they are familiar with.

And this doesn’t even begin to discuss the cases where the interviewer is a former member of the actual Fraternity.

If the person conducting the interview actually is a former frat member of the same frat, and not just someone who was in the Greek system, then you’re likely in a really good spot.

This is the basis of networking and it’s a huge reason that being in a Frat can help you get a job.

Should You Put Your Fraternity Membership on your Resume?

As you will have figured out by now, it’s my opinion that you really should put your Frat membership on your resume.

There are almost no drawbacks to listing your fraternity membership. And if you’re a recent grad who was very involved in your fraternity, then it certainly makes sense to list it.

The reason that you want to list your Frat in this case is that you spent a lot of time on the organization and you should rightfully want that time accounted for.

Suppose you were instrumental in fundraising for the Frat, or were seriously involved in some large charity drives, all of those activities and programs should be reflected on your resume. Especially if you’re a new Grad and have little to account for otherwise as a New Grad.

Famous Fraternity Alumni- Successful Real Life Examples

There is an enormous amount of famous fraternity alumni. Everyone from Michael Bloomberg to Bill Gross are former fraternity members.

So, think about that. Would you consider people like Warren Buffet and Rex Tillerson to be people who are typical of the "frat image"?

Of course not. The image of the Frat as something from Van Wilder or Animal House is a construct that's been created and fostered by Hollywood much like the negative image surrounding Sororities. You've got to remember that much like all other stereotypes put out there by Hollywood, it's not real.

More importantly, the hiring manager is likely a successfully woman from Kappa Kappa or a guy from SAE. It's not going to be some person who never went to college, never met a real member of Greek life in person, and who only knows about it from Hollywood--unless you're interviewing at a Government agency, a non-profit, or some hospital or medical institution (the only people who work in those roles who would have likely gone to good colleges are the Physicians and they don't conduct interviews).

Here's even a report from CNBC that covers how joining a Frat can and often does have positive impact on your salary. And of course, they use a stereotype image from a Hollywood film (Animal House) to illustrate the Frat image.

So, don't be embarrassed or concerned about how your Fraternity will appear on your resume because odds are the person who will be reviewing the resume is going to be someone who has a positive understanding of Frats, Sororities, and the entire Greek system.