Fraternity in college, mention or not?

[siberianexpress]

During an oral interview, should I mention that I was the president of a social fraternity in college when they ask for leadership and community service experience, or will they immediately see me as a former drunk who partied his way through college?I know that different interviewers will have differing opinions, but what is the general consensus?Fraternities are often given the stereotype of being involved in illegal activities.

[nealopp]

Personally, as a frat guy, I would mention it. As the president, you have to deal with all the in ternal politics, and it takes a real diplomat to make sure everyone's happy. What fraternity are you in?

Make sure you prop up the community service aspects, though. Any programs you might have started would help. The chapter closest to where I live has a GREAT relationship with the local community, so I wouldn't hesitate one bit. It's a huge accomplishment, especially if you were active for all 4 years. But, I ramble...

[Samuel]

There are a lot of fraternities who have earned the stereotype of being involved in stupid activities... lol

I spent a few years in one too.

When interviewing, you can take just about any life experience and make it positive. For example, with a fraternity, you might want to mention how it helped you grow up and learn responsibility (assuming you weren't caught doing anything stupid while in the fraternity) by being, for example, a designated driver, or how it taught or improved your interpersonal relationship skills (meeting, making friends, and establishing long term relationships with a bunch of basic strangers), or how you might have gained valuable experience serving on the cabinet of your fraternity, or how your fraternity performed this or that service for the community, etc.

One can find many similarities between being in a fraternity and being in a law enforcement brotherhood... How about that hazing... LOL

[Stump]

They'll find out anyway. They check your college stuff, and if you were president, it would be listed. What you DON'T want to do is leave it out and then they find out about it - it will put up little red flags.

[siberianexpress]

Thanks for the replies, everyone.
Well, I don't see why it would put up any red flags if I didn't dislcose it, because being in a fraternity is not like having an arrest record or anything.I'm sure lots of people who were in fraternities and sororities don't mention them when they apply for jobs.Sometimes you don't think to mention it. My fraternity kinda dissolved my 3rd year in,and toward the end I didn't really see myslef as a fraternity member. But I did mention it at my last oral interview, and the board members didn't seem impressed.I also stressed my community service and duties as president, as well as my skils in relating to community leaders. It really didn't seem to phase them. I think that some people don't really care, and some may be impressed by it. It all depends on who I get on my oral board. I think I will keep mentioning it.It is something I did, and I am proud of it. If they count it against me, so be it.


PS- My fraternity was pretty crazy, and I'm sure if anyone REALLY looked into it at my college during a background check,they would find info to reflect that. I'm sure there is also police records of calls made to them, and their "surveillance activities" of all frat houses, mine included. I went to school in a sleepy PA town where almost all the town folks hated fraternities. Our house was also next to the DA's house. And people wonder why we lost our house.........

[metallicat]

"Have you ever been involved in or in attendance at any circumstance where police were called or responded?" That is a question on the disclosure form here, so I would imagine there would be something similar down there, which would include the fraternity I suppose.

[siberianexpress]

Technically, yes. But none of our parties were ever "busted" or raided. Once a police cruiser rolled by the back of our house 3 or 4 times in 20 minutes, and all of our party guests scattered like roaches when the light goes on. There were a few of these incidents, but I don't think the cops wanted to bother busting our house. That was just the city PD's way of saying, "We let you party for a couple of hours, now it's getting late.Time to wrap it up".

Once in a while they would "pick off" a couple of drunk underagers staggering back to the dorms who weren't smart enough to use the back alleys. I swear, at least 2/3 of the population of my college got at least 1 underage. Underage cites and DUI's were the main "fundraiser" conducted by the city PD.

Then I visited IUP, where people were drinking 40's in the street and the cops just rolled by without a second glance.I just happened to get lucky and go to school in a town where the PD would go out in force to catch underage drinkers. I was lucky to escape my colege town with "only" 2 Underages and an "open beverage cite". Then on top of the cost of the ticket, which was like $150, the school had the courtesy to fine me $40 for "giving the school a bad image", even though I was cited miles away from campus. My college town was like a throwback to the '50s.People were still fighting in the streets outside of bars, and the cops arrested 2 people for making out in public, with a charge something like "disregard for moral turpitude" or some **** like that.You couldn't buy liquor on Sunday, and there were lots of weird laws that no on followed.

[Samuel]

I think siberian was a member of Delta Tau Chi. TOGA! TOGA! TOGA! TOGA! :D

[siberianexpress]

Everyone who was in a fraternity says there's was like "Animal House", but ours REALLY was!!!I think it's because half of the brothers strived to make it that way.When I asked one of the new pledges"why did you pledge this fraternity" he said "Ever since I saw Animal House when I was a kid, I wanted to join a frat"

AXP - 4 life

[Stump]

Originally posted by siberianexpress
Technically, yes.

That's exactly the things they are looking for. ANY contact. I really wouldn't leave it out because it could potentially bite you in the behind. Lies of ommission are the same as blatant lies.

[Switchback]

I mentioned mine and had no problems at all. You should be honest. It's far easier to explain things when you bring them up, rather than explaining them when the invetigator brings them up AND explaining why you left it out.

[K9 Police]

I was going to join one, rushed and everything. Two reasons why I didn't:

1. Astronomical amount of money.

2. I felt fraternity and trying to become an officer did not mix.

I realize now that I was more wrong about #2 than #1. However, that was my personal choice at the time.

K9

[cgsig]

hey, i was a fraternity president in the past and i mentioned it during my interview. needless to say i got a 100% on the interview because of my leadership qualities. dont let the rumors and stereotypes of fraternity members discourage you to admitting the postitive aspects of your college experience.

[K9 Police]

Originally posted by cgsig
needless to say i got a 100% on the interview because of my leadership qualities.

Needless to say...huh. I doubt that you being the president of a fraternity is mutually exclusive with you gaining a 100% on an oral board.

K9