Presenting Your Most Confident Self During Recruitment

Conversation During Recruitment

Although your resume is one way someone can get to know you, there are many things about you that your resume cannot share. Most of us do not include our height, weight, or hair and eye color. Nor do we include information on our favorite color, our newest cool shoes, or our nail polish length & color. A resume cannot tell all the unique and wonderful things about a person and that is why face-to-face meetings are a part of the recruitment process.

Having the ability to talk one-on-one with others you have just met is an important skill that will be used not only during sorority recruitment but also when you are job hunting. Here are a few things to practice during the next few weeks as you must practice to get better at a skill.

Open Body Language

Make sure you are standing tall and looking confident. Watch what you do with your arms. Crossing your arms in front of you is "closed" body language and conveys a message of "I'm not interested." Putting your hands on your hips is not a lady-like look and holding hands behind your back might show you are hiding something. Standing with your arms by your side so you are able to use them when speaking is the best say to stand but is difficult if you are not used to it. Fiddling with your hair shows that you are nervous and can be distracting. Find a way to stand with your feet so that you look comfortable. 

Good Eye Contact

Make sure you focus on the person who is talking. Looking around the room to see who you can see does not allow the person you are speaking with to feel you are listening.

Think About What You Are Going To Say

You will be asked  the same question at every party during the first day. It is basic banter to get to speak about something you feel comfortable with - basically "small talk." Have a story to tell about what you did this summer, how you made the decision to attend the university you are attending, things you enjoy doing...anything that will allow the women you meet to get to know you. Answer with more than a few words. Embellish. Again, practicing will enable you to share your story. Your mom is not there to share what wonderful talents you have.

Positive Attitude

Put a smile on your face and be genuinely interested in what the other person is saying. Ask questions to show you are listening and then follow up with a question asking the member something about herself. Spray all those you meet with positiveness.

Self Confidence

Yes, there are lots of women going through recruitment but they are not you. You are you and have so many interesting and wonderful stories to tell. Think about those behaviors and talents that are special to you and tie these back to how you will share those with the sorority in which you become a member.

Do Your Homework

It is easy to find out about the various philanthropies and service projects the chapters support. State that you know something about the chapter and then follow up with a question. "What part did you play in support of your philanthropy?" or "What is your favorite service project?"

Remember that the members will also be sharing information about their sorority so make sure you are an active listener. You might need to ask questions to clarify something a member says so you understand what she is trying to communicate with you. Know that many times the members are as nervous as you in meeting and talking with new people.