For many, Greek life is an important part of college life. From the outside, sorority and fraternity life may seem like a time built entirely around parties and socializing, but a number of the responsibilities required to run a sorority or fraternity are handled by the members - and those responsibilities often build in demand job skills.

The president, for example, learns and develops leaderships skills. He or she also learns public speaking skills - from spending many meetings addressing a hundred or more of their peers. To be effective, this office must also hone their time management skills to meet the demands of college life, what must seem like endless meetings required to run a sorority or fraternity, in addition to making time for fun.

The person in the house responsible for creating fliers and newsletters learns and uses graphic design and writing skills, and may find themselves using those skills again in the walls of a corporate marketing department. The branding skills they’ve obtained, undoubtedly by the relentless search for and constant repetition of the perfect Greek fonts, may be the same ones that launch the next IBM from the ground up.

The treasurer learns money management from an organizational level, and gets an inside look at the finances of a medium-sized organization that few 19 -22 year olds will ever see. In fact, being in charge of this office can also provide a fiscal and budgetary responsibility and accountability that many, even finance majors, won’t see again for a few years out of college, in addition to hands on experience with fund-raising.

The pledge class teacher learns and practices teaching skills, and that may resurface in an academic classroom after college, or in providing training in an organizational setting. Presentation skills, management, and team building are also learned in learn by doing setting. In fact, each person that holds an office in any sorority or fraternity, is likely learning skills - that whether they know it or not at the time - are likely to, in one way or another, benefit them in their chosen profession. 

So, the next time you’re tempted to think that Greek life is all about partying and having fun, take a minute to remember all of the roles required to run a medium-sized organization, such as a sorority or a fraternity. Then remember the members who are handling them while juggling a full college load, an active social life, and in the process, learning important job skills hands on.