Author: Michelle DiGiglio
So you’re interested in business but don’t know what career you want or exactly how to get it? We all want to score our dream internship, but navigating info sessions and crushing interviews aren’t always easy. Let’s face it, we could all use a resume critique, public speaking practice and someone to put a good word in for us.
That’s where business fraternities come in. Maybe you don’t know much about them or never considered rushing one before, but business fraternities provide valuable opportunities that go beyond professional growth. But there are many misconceptions when it comes to the culture of business fraternities. To debunk some of these myths, we talked to 6 brothers of Phi Gamma Nu to find out what being in a business fraternity is really all about and why you should rush.
MYTH 1: You shouldn’t rush if you don’t know exactly what career you want.
What made you want to rush a business fraternity and what drew you to PGN?
Jeff Stern: Honestly I knew nothing about them and had only a small interest in “business.” But almost immediately, I felt at home with every single person I met at a PGN info session. The more people I talked to, the more I wanted to be a part of it.
Elif Korkmaz (Director of Recruitment): As an ILR major, it wasn’t possible to get the maximum exposure to the world of business as other majors get. After seeing all the impressive credentials and places that all the brothers have worked at, it was PGN’s culture of diversity, inclusion and team success that sparked my interest.
Mike Beveridge (President): After meeting the brothers at the information sessions and throughout rush, it was clear to see that while professionalism was what initially brought everyone together, the friendships were the main focus. When I received my bid and it was my turn to choose PGN, I didn’t hesitate.
MYTH 2: Business fraternities are only for AEM majors.
Are business fraternities exclusively for AEM majors?
Laya (Vice President): AEM majors within PGN in no way dominate the group. Most of the growth I have experienced within PGN is a result of working with other majors.
Jeff: We’ve had brothers from all seven schools, something that was important to me because I didn’t know at all what I wanted to pursue professionally. Having brothers going into pretty much any field you could imagine proved to be incredibly helpful over the years.
Mike M: As a tech student I was pleasantly surprised by the breadth of brothers that I met when I showed up at the first information session. At first I was a little intimidated by the backgrounds of some of the other rushes, but I quickly realized that PGN demands a willingness to learn and not necessarily knowledge. If you really want to stand out as a leader in your post-college career then no matter what that career is I think it’s invaluable to understand how the business world operates.
MYTH 3: It’s all about connections and past experience.
Describe an ideal rush candidate.
Mike B: Someone who’s driven to succeed, and motivated to learn as much as possible. We really look for someone who has potential for development, not just one who has had success.
Sarah: Someone who can both benefit from what PGN has to offer and contribute to the organization in the future. We want passionate students with different interests, involvement, personalities and backgrounds and who want develop their professional skills.
Mike M: Anyone with the curiosity, work ethic, and interest in business to spend an immersive semester expanding their horizons and shaping their future. You don’t need to have a business background, a perfect GPA, or a killer internship, we want people with potential and room to grow.
MYTH 4: Rush and pledging are unnecessary and ruin your GPA, social life, and sleep cycle.
Can you talk a little bit about the rush and pledging process?
Mike B: Rush is segmented into three rounds with information sessions and coffee chats proceeding it. This process allows the brothers to get an understanding of all the potential members and for those rushing to get an understanding of what PGN is all about. After rush, candidates who make it through final deliberations receive bids to enter the pledging process for 10 weeks. Pledging is essentially a crash course in everything business related: resume critiques, interview tips, case studies, presentations,etc. It is definitely manageable, I was still able to complete all of my duties for PGN while remaining involved in other organizations.
Sarah: Rush is a great way to identify your weaknesses and strengths. While pledging, the brothers help you develop your critical thinking, analysis, presentation and networking skills. Speaking with experienced upperclassmen allowed me to eliminate certain industries that didn’t match up with my interests and sparked it in new ones I had never considered.
Elif: I think experiencing the rush process is a great opportunity for professional development. The pledging process can be tough at times, but it is better to fail and learn from those mistakes during pledging instead of making those mistakes during your internship or first full time job.
MYTH 5: It’s all work, no play
Is there a social aspect to business fraternities?
Sarah: Definitely! PGN’s pillars are professional, philanthropy and community. We’ve hosted very fun events for philanthropy, such as bar nights, and cater to the community aspect heavily. We have club sports teams, meet up often for drinks and meals and have organized social events such as formals and wine tours.
Mike B: Absolutely. In addition to scheduled social events like date nights and formal, on almost any night there are brothers looking to just hang out. Some of my best nights at Cornell have come from nights with PGN.
MYTH 6: Fraternity brothers are like your colleagues, you don’t associate outside of work.
Can you describe the relationships you’ve made with brothers through PGN?
Mike M: I realized after the first info session that PGN could provide me with mentors in every career field imaginable. I’ve made some amazing connections with my brothers, especially those that were in my pledge class. The relationships with these people have remained extremely strong, even though we no longer spend twenty hours a week together working on projects. It’s great having a group of friends who are as willing to relax on a Friday night as they are to nerd out about foreign markets.
Sarah: PGN has been the source of some of my closest friendships, especially within my lineage and pledge class. However, I also owe a lot to the upperclassmen who guided me through pledging and other professional developments. As a senior, I try to provide the same support and counsel to the newer members of the organization.
Jeff: I joined PGN as a freshman, meaning most of the people in my pledge class graduated last year. I think the fact that I’m still in good touch with every single person who’s graduated speaks to the kind of relationships you make through PGN. The relationships cross that professional line – these are genuine relationships far beyond the collegial scope.
MYTH 7: Joining a business fraternity is only a resume filler.
What skills has PGN given you to prepare for the professional world?
Sarah: PGN definitely helped me develop my presentation skills, networking ability and professionalism in general. It also reinforced to me the importance of constantly following the news, paying attention to detail and being accountable for the work I and my team put out. The feedback I received throughout pledging helped me realize and fix many professional flaws I wasn’t even aware of.
Mike B: Some hard skills like the basics of financial modeling, building a business plan, and building professional looking PowerPoint decks. But, largely I’ve picked up a lot of soft skills that can’t really be taught like networking and interview tips.
Laya: Networking! Without PGN, I would have no idea how to network. Before pledging it terrified me. PGN taught me how to ask people memorable questions and how to write emails professionals want to respond to. Without PGN, I would not be interviewing at the some of my dream firms.
How have you changed/grown from before rush to after pledging?
Elif: The pledging process was a great opportunity for me to identify areas I needed to improve more such as public speaking, time management and delegation. Gaining those skills helped me to excel both as a person and a student at Cornell.
Jeff: Since I had no background in anything business related, the pledging process was an eye opening experience for me. What I think was even more valuable was the soft skill development; you get real experience working in teams, personalized feedback on how you present yourself, public speaking and general presentation skills, and the opportunity to meet with every single brother over the course of the process.
Mike M: PGN helped me understand the importance of soft skills. If you don’t know how to network, write a strong email, or speak confidently in public, then you’re going to have a hard time moving past the entry level in whatever career you find yourself in. I can’t think of a better way to gain a foundation in these core skills than by pledging PGN.
MYTH 8: Overall, business fraternities don’t provide you with valuable experiences or opportunities.
What type of career opportunities has PGN created for you?
Mike M: PGN has provided my with roughly 90% of the stories that I tell about myself during interviews. The projects that you complete while pledging provide great testaments to your abilities to manage teams, complete difficult projects, and handle professional work environments. PGN has been the biggest factor in landing me in a position where I can choose my employer, and not the other way around.
Elif: Many PGN brothers served as enormous resources for me during my internship and recruiting process and it is great to have those resources around you so readily available.
Jeff: My sophomore year I interned for Tiger Consumer Management the only reason I had an interview with them in the first place was because a good friend in my pledge class had worked there the prior summer and suggested my candidacy to them. Having many brothers years older than you who have not only been through what you’re going through, but who want to help and are working full-time at the firms where you are interviewing is a super helpful resource to have at your disposal.
Interested in rushing? Here’s PGN’s best advice for you!
Elif: Be yourself. Show us that you are smart, driven and genuinely interested in joining PGN.
Mike M: Don’t be shy! Come to an information session and learn what we’re all about. Once you’re there be sure to make an impact on as many brothers as possible.
Mike B: Be honest and confident; we’re looking for a great fit in the fraternity both professionally and personally.Even if you’re on the fence,I highly recommend just checking out the info sessions to get a feel for the brotherhood and what we do.
Sarah: Looking back on my college experience now, PGN is one of my proudest accomplishments and I am so happy that I somehow ended up at that first rush session. I will definitely be carrying out the professional network it’s allowed me to build with my diploma at the end of the year and throughout my career. I encourage anyone to give rush a shot if you’re even a little bit intrigued!
