<p>After finishing my first year at college with a 4.0, both Phi Eta Sigma (freshman honors society) and Phi Sigma Iota (foreign literature and language honors society) invited me to become a member. I don't know anything about the fraternal system; the extent of my knowledge comes from cursory glances at each society's respective Wikipedia page/home page. Can I join both, and if not, which has a better networking system/looks better upon graduation? Thanks!</p>
<p>i don’t see why you couldn’t join both.</p>
<p>that said, the best honor societies for you will probably be the honor society for your major, and PBK. PBK is the most respected honor society and really the only one that carries any weight, IMO. The honor society for your major will allow for networking opportunities with like-minded individuals.</p>
<p>Don’t join any honor societies that ask for your money. </p>
<p>I always got those types of invitations, because of a high GPA, but they always require money. Are employers really going to be impressed by one student with a high GPA who paid for membership in a bunch of honor societies over another student with a high GPA who did not? No! They are not. </p>
<p>If you want to look impressive after graduation, join business clubs and get active in them. That is a better use of your resume space that <strong><em>,</em></strong><strong><em>,</em></strong><strong><em>, and </em></strong>___ honor societies that you paid to join. But if your gonna join a society make sure you will actually use their services, and that the services are actually worth the price and you can’t get the same services for free or cheaper elsewhere. </p>
<p>But, hey, it’s your money, so do what you want with it.</p>
<p>Whatdidyou, that is VERY false. College academic fraternities can be very helpful in developing a network of alumni with jobs, and if you are interested in jobs, a developed network > an undeveloped network.</p>
<p>Beyond that, though I never qualified for any academic fraternities, everything I’ve heard is that they are very much about showing you are excellent in a particular discipline. They aren’t anything like social fraternities, and consequently there is no need to have dues, unless you’re talking about a hundred bucks a semester to help support scholarships for other students.</p>
<p>“Business clubs” … that is an amorphous term. To me, that says that you were in a club that discussed business, economics and policies. And if I am an employer, that is worthless. If a business club is a business that you run, on the other hand, that is worthwhile; same if it is an advisory board of sorts. But if it’s just a club, you won’t blow away an employer by saying “I was a member – not a leader, but a member – of this club”</p>
<p>Yes, fraternities can be useful for develping a network. However, you can likely get these type of network opportunities without joining the fraternity and for a lot cheaper.</p>
<p>$100/semester is alot; especially if you are not benefiting from it or can get the same benefits for free or are a paying membership fees of multiple societies. You don’t need to be a member of some society to demonstrate excellence. That’s ridiculous. Usually what got you invited demonstrates your exccellence enough. And most do have fees. If they don’t, go ahead and join them. </p>
<p>To me being, “in a club that discussed business, economics and policies” is more valuable than being a member of a society where you do little to nothing. </p>
<p>I think you missed the part:“and get active in them.” However, I never said an employer would be blown away, that takes alot these days ;). I merely suggested a better course of action, instead of paying to be a member of multiple honor socieities, if the threadstarter wanted to impress recruiters. Your two suggestions are also more impressive than being a member of an honor society.</p>