This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TCNJ chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
We all know about social fraternities and sororities, but what about professional ones? Professional fraternities are ones that are more academic based and focus on professional development and networking. Today I am gonna give you my personal guide for rushing a professional fraternity!
- Get to know everyone
- The brothers and potential new members are so important to get to know. You want to get a feel for the people that you can potentially be surrounding yourself with to see if it is a good fit for you!
- Go to all the events
- Sometimes it may be said that you only have to attend one event out of the multiple held, but it really is so beneficial to go to all if you can. Brothers in the fraternity keep notice of the people that continue to go back to the events, as it shows that you want to be there.
- Start up conversations
- This goes back to getting to know the brothers and potential new members, but conversations can be so key, even if it is just small talk. Seeing if you have anything in common with anyone can also help make you feel more comfortable, especially if you are someone who is more on the shy side or introverted. I remember even just complimenting someone on their nails and how that sparked up an entire conversation!
- Network
- Some of the events that may be held could have professional speakers or alumni. Try to introduce yourself to them after the event or get their contact. I did that for an alumni panel for one of the events, where I ended up adding one of the speakers on LinkedIn and she added me back! It’s really important to start making connections as they may be beneficial later on.
- Ask questions
- Asking questions again shows that you are interested and want to learn more. You can ask general questions like anything about the fraternity, an event that was held, about the e-board, etc. There are no bad questions and the brothers actually look forward to hearing people ask questions!
- Wear nice clothes
- Not that you have to necessarily dress super professional, but definitely try to dress nice as you want to make an impression. I tried to wear jeans and a nice top to the events that I attended which also made me feel more confident when talking to others. I always like to say when you look good, you feel good!
- Express gratitude
- Anytime before leaving an event, make sure to thank whoever is in charge of it. This again goes back to making an impression, but you want to thank whoever is in charge of the events and be sure to say how you enjoyed it. Even if you can’t find the exact person in charge, I remember making sure to say thank you to any of the brothers on my way out.
- Be yourself
- It can be very intimidating going into something new, but it’s so important to remember to stay true to yourself and really let your personality shine. I tried my best to do that with anyone I talked to, despite it being my first time meeting someone. Personality is what makes you stand out!
- Confidence
- I am not going to lie, I struggle a lot with my confidence, but rushing definitely helped me with that. Reassuring yourself that you deserve to be there just as much as anyone else and even wearing a nice outfit, like I mentioned earlier, can help. Confidence can help distract you from being anxious or nervous. Remembering this definitely helped me at some events as I am naturally a pretty anxious person.
- Take care of yourself
- Whether that be physically, mentally, or both, take care of yourself first. I remember doubting myself going through rushing and just overthinking way too much. Always remember like I said before, you are meant to be there just as much as anyone else. You also have to remember to get a good night’s sleep and eat!
I hope you found my professional fraternity rush guide helpful! Hopefully these tips help the next time you are thinking about potentially joining one, as they definitely helped me throughout my experience!