With every new chapter visit, you meet a new group of women who have never met you before. All curious and wondering, "who is this chick and why is she telling me what to do?" After I make my introductions, there are a few questions that are commonly tossed around during the visit. I decided to clear up a couple of these this blog post.
Consultant FAQs
Q: Where do you live?
A: Well, I live out of my suitcase and when I'm not traveling I live in Brooklyn, New York. Why Brooklyn? Because I want to live in New York when I'm done being a consultant so I moved all of my stuff up north to live with my grandma in Brooklyn. My parents still live in South Florida and I plan on visiting them during Thanksgiving!
Q: So is this your job?
A: Yep!! I work for Sigma Delta Tau and I am an employee of our Headquarters staff. This is my FULL TIME job!
Q: How did you decide to do this?
A: My sophomore year in college I met a consultant and realized "you can do this for a job!?!" As college went on, I become more involved in the sorority. Becoming a chapter president and attending convention opened my eyes to the National organization, where I felt more deeply connected to the sorority. I worked on several recolonizations and chapter revitalizations as a part of a national recruitment team. When it came time to apply for jobs, it was a no brainer for me. I knew that I needed to go for consultant and see what happened. In January 2014, I was interviewed and in February I was hired.
Q: What do you pack for 6 weeks? Are you a nomad?
A: I cannot make this up. I have literally been asked if I feel like a nomad/gypsy/homeless person. I pack very carefully because the 50 lb rule on your luggage is serious and SDT probably wouldn't tolerate a heavy bag fee. I pick simple pieces that I can mix and match as well as layer. For me, the hardest part was cutting down on the amount of shoes I wanted to bring. As it turns out, I don't wear heels nearly as much as I thought I would and I didn't even pack any for this second leg of fall travel. You live and you learn. And you learn to leave your shoes at home...
Q: Do you get paid?
A: Yes. My bosses on the other hand are AMAZING volunteers who not only dedicate countless hours to the organization, but then are our moms/therapists/shoulders to cry on. They also have kids and real lives. But yes, I get paid.
Q: Do you like your job?
A: Absolutely. There is nothing I would rather be doing this year (unless I was still allowed to be an undergrad in college)
Q: Are we your favorite chapter?
A: I don't pick favorites, but...
Q: What do you think about our recruitment?
A: Every single recruitment is so incredibly different. Of course there are similarities, but I can't compare Michigan to Wisconsin to Penn State to Florida State. Do I think some communities are doing amazing things that I wish I had thought of? Absolutely. Do I think some communities could be doing things better? For sure. The bottom line is that I love recruitment because of the outcome at the end of the process, and that is the same at every single school.
Q: Do you want to come to the tailgate/social/frat party/date function with us? Are you sure?
A: As much as I would love to, it's highly unprofessional for me to do so.
Q: Wait, you're only 22?
A: YEP. For some reason everyone thinks "National" and automatically thinks we're old. I'll be 23 in December.
Q: Are you going to do this forever?
A: As of right now, we are all signed up for one year. It's something that is an amazing experience post-grad, but the travel is so exhausting you can't help but want some concrete roots.
Any consultant can relate to these questions commonly asked by chapter members and people you meet on road. I am happy answer these and any other questions about my job, but for now I need to get back to my visit.
With love from Madison, Wisconsin,
Ilana
