Recruitment season is fast approaching. Before we know it, chapter members will be moving back to campus to prepare, your FYP will be filled with recruitment content and most importantly, thousands of women across the country will soon receive an invitation to sorority membership  that changes their lives.  

Recruitment is an important first step in joining a sorority, but it’s also so much more. 

Recruitment is a way to make connections. 

Want to meet people? Experience sorority recruitment! Recruitment is all about making connections — you might meet your best friend in line for the next recruitment event or as you chat with sorority members to get to know the chapter. Having intentional conversations about your values naturally lends itself to connection. After joining a sorority, you’ll become the recruiter for the next generation of members, and it continues to be a way to meet new people, find common ground and deepen relationships.  

Recruitment is an avenue to self-discovery. 

Experiencing recruitment helps you learn more about yourself and build confidence. “It creates opportunities for self-reflection and helps girls better understand their values, strengths and the kind of person they want to become,” says Brianna Wise, Eta Eta-Northern Kentucky chapter president. “Recruitment ultimately shapes stronger individuals and inspires a commitment to becoming the best version of themselves, both during the process and long after it ends.” 

Even though spending hours each day meeting new people and having meaningful conversations requires a lot of energy, Brianna says this is where she sees recruitment make an impact.  

“It pushes girls beyond their comfort zones, reveals strengths they may not have realized they possessed and encourages confidence in ways that are hard to find elsewhere,” says Brianna.  

Recruitment is a path toward success. 

Beyond meeting new people and making connections, recruitment can also help you professionally. For Liz Cordes Novotny, a Zeta Gamma-Arkansas/Fayetteville alumna who works as a senior account director for a tech startup, recruitment helped further her career.  

“Sorority recruitment helped me develop skills that have been invaluable in my career and endeavors beyond college, including networking, event planning, people management, budgeting and self-presentation,” Liz says. 

“The conversation skills you build are paramount: asking open-ended questions, getting to know someone very quickly, finding common ground and linking that to other people you know and making yourself a comfortable space for connection,” Liz says. “Regardless of the industry you choose after graduation, the conversation skills you gain from recruitment alone will push you to stand out in a very positive way.” 

Recruitment is only the beginning. 

While the process of sorority recruitment might loom large, it is truly a small part of the sorority experience. Receiving that bid is the beginning of lifelong membership that will bring new memories and experiences in college and beyond. 

“Through leadership opportunities, accountability from sisters and constant encouragement, you learn so much more about yourself and your capabilities,” says Brianna. “Being part of a sorority means being part of something bigger than yourself — a community that challenges you, supports you and helps you become the best version of yourself.”