Do British people know what Phi Beta Kappa is?

Question

I'm moving to the UK and I'm not sure if I need to explain on my CV what Phi Beta Kappa is. I know they don't have PBK out there, but do Brits (particularly university-educated Brits) know what it is anyway? I just want to avoid sounding like a jerk on my CV.

Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

come again

Answer 2

Yeah we don't do the whole greek thing at all here and most people (even us university educated ones) have absolutely no idea what it is. The only experience we have of it is when we see frat houses and so on in movies. To me it all just seems like some kind of system of weird cults or something. So yeah, better not to mention it...

Well done calling it a CV and not a resume though.

Answer 3

Most employers would be aware that there are fraternities in US universities, and that they are normally named by Greek letters - but unless they had spent time in a US college themselves, very few would realise that there is a hierarchy involved.  Most would assume that this has the same status as belonging to a social club at a UK university.    The other answerer is correct about your CV - remember, a CV is more for filtering candidates out than for picking them.  A job advert will typically produce a huge stack of replies, more than it would be possible to interview.  The first step in selecting a candidate is to flick through the pile of CV's to reduce this response to a manageable number.  This is why your CV should be small and to the point.  Your hobbies, interests and personal life are not your employers business, and could in some cases lead to prejudice.

Answer 4

no

Answer 5

If they don't have Phi Beta Kappa in England, then they probably have no fraternities so mentioning it is of no use.  As a former manager responsible for hiring in a North American company, it would have been useless information to me, since I am interested in what your qualifications are and not what fraternal organizations you belong to.  As a matter of fact, I couldn't even ask because it could be construed as a grounds of discrimination, either religious or ethnic.

Save some typing and leave it out.  Good luck on the job search.