Hi! This is Ella Cinalli (Alpha Kappa, University of Oregon ’21), a traveling consultant for the 2025-26 year! And this is Livia Rosario (Gamma Upsilon, University of Houston ’22), a resident consultant at Lambda Pi! As a consultant team, we get one question over and over again: What does a typical day as a consultant look like? The consultant job really does change day to day, so we wanted to share a week in life as both a resident and a traveling consultant!
Our weeks as chapter consultants are a mix of structured meetings, relationship-building moments and intentional personal time that keeps us balanced and motivated.
A Week in the Life of a Resident Consultant, Mid-Semester:
Throughout the week, I met with a variety of officers and advisors to offer support and guidance. Depending on the week, our meetings can range anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. In my role with the Lambda Pi chapter, I work directly with seven officers, so regular check-ins are an important part of supporting their success.
During the week, I usually stopped by the chapter house for lunch. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day, an easy opportunity to catch up with members, build relationships and check in with officers in a more casual setting. On Monday evening, we had a chapter meeting, which made for a later night but was such valuable time for chapter members to come together and start their week off strong.
I sat in on committee meetings as well, including the new member education committee to review retention plans and upcoming programming and the executive board meeting to ensure everyone was aligned on goals and upcoming events. Every meeting looks different, but the energy is always the same: collaboration and continuous growth.
Throughout the week, I also met with staff and volunteers who work closely with Lambda Pi. This was to ensure that we were all on the same page in our efforts to support the chapter. Outside of the time I spent with Lambda Pi, I dedicated part of my schedule to connecting with the other chapters in my portfolio: responding to emails, hosting virtual check-ins and helping with anything they may need.
And while the days were full, I made sure to prioritize some personal time. This fall, that has meant setting aside Tuesday nights for Dancing with the Stars and making sure to grab a coffee or fun drink from my favorite spots in Oxford. A little routine outside of work helps me stay grounded and energized week to week.
A Week in the Life of a Traveling Consultant, End of Fall Recruitment Season:
Starting my week, I wrapped up a chapter’s recruitment season and had the chance to celebrate Bid Day with them. After a long few days, I was genuinely looking forward to it — there’s nothing quite like watching the excitement of the new members and celebrating such a big accomplishment alongside them. The day was all smiles and laughter, which was fitting because the Bid Day theme was Circus!
I stayed on campus for a couple of days to support any COB efforts and met with officers to ensure they were set up for success for the rest of the year. Once everything was in a good place, it was time to pack up because I was finally heading home! A little last-day ritual that I have when I visit a chapter is to treat myself to a nice dinner. A celebration for myself to reflect on the last few days! I usually bring my journal with me, a new habit I picked up while traveling. It gives me a quiet moment to process everything before shifting gears.
I couldn’t wait to see my family, cuddle my dog and sleep in my own bed. I truly enjoy the travel aspect of this job — exploring new places is such a unique privilege — but there’s also something really grounding about the comfort of home.
I flew back on Wednesday and immediately got settled in: unpacking, showering, doing laundry and resetting my space to feel organized. My dad cooked me a favorite meal, and I got to catch up with my family on what had occurred over the last two months.
Since it was mid-week, I was also able to get some home-office time in. I caught up on reports from the past few weeks, answered emails and met with staff to debrief how my recruitment visits went. The combination of on-site and home-office time gives the best of both worlds. The energy of working with a chapter is unmatched, but home-office work allows for time to reset and reflect.
From Both of Us:
We hope this gives a good idea of what a week in the life as a resident or traveling consultant can bring. Each week is a little different, but we always know that we will have support from our other consultants and staff to tackle anything that comes our way.