Maybe you’ve heard of NSCS through friends. Or perhaps your advisor encouraged you to look for honors societies, and you’re wondering what they’re all about. Regardless of how you found out about NSCS and about honors societies in general, we bet we know what’s running through your mind right now. You’re wondering if you really need to join one, right?
Most of our members ask this question at some point because they are intelligent, inquisitive people who like to learn the facts before they jump into something. We commend that, and we encourage you to learn all you need to know before deciding whether to join NSCS. But we also need you to know: joining an honors society is worth it. Joining NSCS will open doors for you, both as a student and as a graduate. Here are some of those doors.
Internship Opportunities
Internships are in high demand, especially in fields like political science and communications. When you join an honors society like NSCS, you get access to internships that other students may not know about or be given access to. Being a member of an honors society also looks good on an internship application. After all, companies want to hire high-achieving interns who go above and beyond.
Leadership Development
Leadership skills are a real asset when entering the workforce. Employees with good leadership skills tend to advance faster and experience greater job satisfaction. You don’t gain a lot of leadership experience attending college classes. However, honors society activities tend to focus on developing leadership skills. In fact, it’s is one of the Three Pillars of NSCS.
Read about Chapter President, Milla Miller, at Western Washington University. NSCS has challenged Milla and helped her to develop her leadership skills, that she plans to carry with her long after her college experience.
Mentorship
Have you ever wished you could sit down and talk to someone about your career ambitions, your college courses, and your dreams? What you’re looking for is a mentor, and joining an honors society is a great way to find one. NSCS opens doors for students by pairing them, either formally or informally, with mentors in their chosen field.
Mentorship does not just serve you as a student, either. Many honors society members remain in touch with their mentors for many years after graduation. Some even go on to work for or with their mentors.
Networking
As an honors society member, in addition to mentors, you’ll meet other people who become part of your network. Some will be peers. Others will be recent graduates, and still others will be professionals working in your field or a related field. These will be the people who help you find jobs once you graduate. They’ll serve as your references, help you prepare for interviews, and talk to you about your options as a recent graduate.
Networking is a key to success in almost every field. When you join an honors society, you not only start building your network, but also learn the necessary skills to keep building your network as you advance in your career.
Collaborative Skills
Many college students stay isolated within their major and don’t often collaborate with people who have different areas of expertise. This all changes when you join an honors society and work alongside students of many different majors. This experience will prepare you for the working world, where it is typical for different professional to collaborate.
Is joining an honors society right for everyone? Maybe not. But if you would like to build a network, learn to lead, discover new internship opportunities, and practice collaboration, then joining an honors society is the way to go. NSCS goes above and beyond to ensure we open these doors, and others, for our members.
