NPHC Sorority Interviews | What To Expect?
Round 2 & Round 3 Questions
Congratulations! You made it through the whirlwind of opening day conversations. Now, the sorority interview questions will turn towards sisterhood and philanthropy-related topics.
If you are a freshman rushing a sorority, expect a few questions about your high school experience. This sorority interview question allows you to choose what aspect of that experience to focus on. For example, you can discuss athletic involvement and highlight your ability to form friendships and contribute to a team. At a sorority that prizes high GPAs, you can discuss academic involvement. If you were part of an honors program or debate club, feel free to discuss that experience.
If possible, connect this answer to the present to keep the conversation flowing. For instance, “I loved doing that in high school. I’m looking forward to participating in something similar on campus (intramural sports team, leadership club, etc.).”
On the other hand, you could say, “Now that I’ve finished that and learned a lot, I’m interested in branching out and trying [insert new activity].”
These finishers allow the sister to share insight about what the campus offers and, if applicable, her own experiences with these activities.
Philanthropy is a significant part of Greek life. If you have volunteer experience, talk about your involvement and experience. If you didn’t volunteer in high school, don’t worry. Discuss organizations that you’d be interested in volunteering for or share your interest in participating in the sorority’s philanthropy activity.
Be open about what led you to rush and why you’re interested in being a part of a sorority. There are so many routes you can take with this question. Share how you see the sorority helping you grow as a person and allowing you to give back in a meaningful way (philanthropy). Or discuss the friendships you hope to build, the leadership opportunities, and more.
Sororities want to know who you are and what you stand for. Think about what drives you and what values you appreciate in other people. For example, loyalty and leadership are two important values for many sororities.
Find values you resonate with and discuss how you view them, and live your life according to these values. You can also talk about why they are important and who has modeled these values in your life.
The girls you’ll be speaking to want to have exciting and memorable conversations. Since they’ll be chatting with several PNMs throughout the day, standing out is crucial. One great way to be memorable is to share a passion. Discussing a true passion makes you come across as interesting and authentic. Whether it’s a common activity or a unique one, share how it has impacted your life and why you enjoy it. Ensure you are honest about these interests and activities; a sister will likely dig deeper and ask more questions about them.
This sorority interview question allows a sister to understand what you’re like in day to day life. Would you mesh well with the girls in a specific house? It’s important to give an honest answer, not an answer you think someone wants to hear. After all, you want to get a bid from a house that likes you for you. As always, refrain from discussing partying in your answer.
Practice makes perfect, right? There may not be such a thing as perfect, but practice never hurts! Practice sample interview questions in preparation for your interview. Try practicing in front of a mirror. If you feel silly answering questions out loud with no one present, ask a friend or family member to practice with you.
• Can you please tell me about yourself? This question isn’t directed for you to tell your life story or for the interviewer to learn about your favorite food. Answer professionally. Steer clear of talking about anything personal, such as friends, family or what you did last weekend. Stick to key points that will interest the interviewer and highlight accomplishments that are noteworthy to the position or program. Examples of acceptable answers:
• Professionally, I have been working in the industry for two years. I know this is the direction I want to go with my career. In my free time, I stay on top of industry trends by reading current publications in the field. Beyond my interest within the field, I believe that it is important to give back to the community. I sit of a volunteer board/committee for a local nonprofit.
• I have been interested in marketing since my first year of college. I declared marketing as my major because I wanted to be a part of a creative team. During my senior year, I had the opportunity to intern at start-up company to help with their marketing campaigns. This question is also a great way to tell the interviewer about your volunteer experience or to explain any missing time periods in your résumé. For example, if you graduated in May and you applied for the job the following September, the employer or university will want to know what you were doing for the past four months. They don’t want to hear, ‘On Monday nights I would join my mom for her book club,’ ‘On Tuesdays I played video games with my friends’ or ‘I’ve been on my computer applying to jobs and grad schools for four hours each day.’ Instead, talk about community involvement or travel experiences. Examples of acceptable answers:
• I graduated last May with a degree in marketing. Since that time, I have volunteered for a local organization where I helped create a marketing plan for their upcoming fundraiser. I am an active person and have made sure to stay involved with my community during my career search.
• After graduation, I chose to travel. I had the opportunity to visit three different countries over the summer. I am glad that I made the decision to travel, as it gave me different perspectives on life, culture and business. Now that I am back, I am ready to find a career. I feel that both my education and travel experiences have prepared me for what’s next
.• Why did you leave your last job or why are you seeking new employment?
For those of you who have work experience, this question isn’t an opportunity to speak negatively about your past or current employer(s). In fact, your potential employer may be testing your temperament to see how you handle conflict. Leave all negative experiences from previous or current jobs behind you. You’ve moved on, right? Be honest and straightforward with an answer that takes a positive spin. Examples of acceptable answers:
• I am looking to further my career, and there were limited opportunities at my former company.
• I am interested in a new challenge and opportunity where I can use my skill set and experience. For those who have limited or no work experience, it’s OK! Don’t try to be something you are not or make up past work experiences. Stay true to who you are. Use your collegiate experiences as the supporting examples in your interview answers. Remember, everyone has their first ‘real job’ at some point! Examples of acceptable answers:
• I recently graduated college and am eager to find a position related to my degree.
• Before I received my degree, my schedule only allotted me to work part-time. Now that I’ve graduated, I chose to resign from that part-time job to find a full-time career. If you’re applying to graduate school, this specific question may not be asked. Something similar like, ‘Why are you considering our program?’ may be asked. Focus your answers on why you wish to pursue a higher level of education.
• How do you handle conflict? OR Tell me about a situation where you did not agree with a peer and how you dealt with it?
The interviewer is looking for answers that show maturity. They don’t want to hear responses such as, ‘I ignore the situation,’ ‘I don’t associate with drama,’ or ‘I de-friend them on Facebook.’ You may not always see eye-to-eye with your co-workers, supervisor, peers and professors; however, negativity is never the solution. The best answers show you are open to communication, hearing others’ perspectives and receptive to resolving issues. Examples of acceptable answers:
• If conflict arises, I address the situation by communicating openly in a non-confrontational manner.
• I am a true believer in communication. The more you communicate with your team, the better. This will help prevent conflict, but if conflict still occurs, additional communication is needed.
• I’m a proactive person. For example, during a group project I had a teammate who would often miss meetings and would not complete his portion of the assignment. Rather than taking an unconstructive approach or let the situation build up negatively, I choose to speak with him one-on-one so he wasn’t singled out in front of the entire team. I kindly let him know he was a vital part of the team and we needed him. He shared with me that he wasn’t excited about his assignments. It was good for us both to hear each other’s perspectives. I let him know that as a team, we can work together. He agreed, his behaviors changed and our project was successful. A little communication can go a long way!
• What is your biggest weakness? This can be a difficult question to answer. You may find it hard to state one of your weaknesses; however, you do not want to give a generic answer. There are a few approaches to answering this question: you can take a negative and turn it into a positive by stating a weakness and elaborating on how you’re improving upon it, or you can simply mention that skill won’t be crucial to a potential offer or acceptance letter. If you are still having a hard time answering, rephrase the question: ‘How do you want to improve to better your career or education?’ It’s important to be thoughtful, honest and genuine while providing this answer. If you state something cliché like, ‘I work too hard’ the interviewer will not be impressed. Regardless of your approach, it is important to be confident, positive and keep the answer short. Examples of acceptable answers:
• I held supervisory roles during my collegiate career and volunteer experience and really enjoyed and excelled in both positions. At this time, I have little related experience in the workplace, and I’d like to build on my professional foundation to show that I’m a leader at work as well.
• Public speaking can be a challenge for me, as I often get nervous. I am taking additional classes to help me with this and I am proud of my progress
.• Can you please describe your work style?
Just like different study habits, everyone has different work habits. The company or graduate program wants to find out more about your personality to see if you will work well with the team or program. For instance, do you need extra direction or are you a self-starter? Do you work better with multiple projects or do you need to finish one project before starting another? Are you intimidated by the phone? How do you work in groups? Be aware of what the position demands or what the graduate school program offers to make sure your work or study style is compatible. Examples of acceptable answers:
• I am a self-starter, but I am not afraid to ask questions. I am a hard worker, who always meets deadlines.
• I am always on top of my projects. I can work on multiple projects at a time and am open to input from team members.
• What are you passionate about? Answer this question by relating your passion to the job or program. If you are interviewing for a position at a nonprofit, stating that you have a passion for helping others would be acceptable. However, if you state your passion is collecting old coins, your future boss might not relate. If your passion is in line with their mission, it’s a good thing! Examples of acceptable answers:
• I am passionate about finding a company whose mission aligns with my own beliefs. I feel this is a perfect fit.
• I have always been passionate about making a difference no matter the situation. When I’m completing a project at work, I want to do my best to succeed. I feel the same way about my personal life. The same goes for graduate school. If you are seeking enrollment in an international marketing program, what makes you passionate about that field? Take advantage of the opportunity to further tell the interviewer why you want this position or why you want to be part of the graduate program. When you applied, you were passionate about the opportunity. What drew you? Use that as inspiration to create your response. Examples of acceptable answers:
• I originally became passionate about marketing and fundraising when I helped start a young philanthropist group during college. I want to further my education in nonprofit management and become a respected leader in the industry.
• During my undergraduate career, I had the opportunity to intern at an art studio for underprivileged children. One of the girls I taught had recently experienced the loss of a family member. Together, we made clay vases. It was then I realized I wanted to pursue higher education to become an art therapist. I know I made a difference that day, and I hope to make a difference to many more youth in need. As you can imagine, there may be many additional questions you will answer at an interview. Make your answers your own, and don’t quote them word for word from this site or any others. Do your research and investigate position-specific or program-specific interview questions. All answers should be focused around the goal at hand.
Interview process at Zeta Phi Beta Sorority IncorporatedOverall experience
On a scale of 1-10 where 1 is Poor and 10 is Excellent, rating is 9.PoorExcellent
On a scale of 1-10 where 1 is Easy and 10 is Difficult, rating is 8.EasyDifficultInterview process lengthAbout a week33%About a month33%About a day or two17%About two weeks17%More than one month0%Most reported stepsProblem solving exercises67%Group interview67%Written test33%Background check33%Other33%Least reported stepsPresentation17%Drug test0%They have no interview0%
