Why do you think you can be a good resident assistant? Tell them that you have a good understanding for the ins and outs of life at the dormitory. You can also say that you believe to have the right personality for the position, and good communication skills, and an ability to work independently.
Although being a resident assistant offers many financial perks, you shouldn’t apply just because you want to save money. The position is a lot of work, and both you and your residents will be best served if you’re emotionally invested in your RA duties.
A resident assistant cannot help a student who has a problem with alcohol if they are abusing alcohol. 7) A potential resident assistant must have a pristine record.
The RA is a medic: almost always the first “person of authority” on a scene that would make the most seasoned professional’s heart skip a beat. The Resident Assistant is all of these people wrapped up into one young student leader bearing down in the trenches wishing and hoping that they are making a difference in the lives of their residents.
Resident Assistant Qualifications/Skills:Strong interpersonal and communication skills.Ability to get along with residents of various cultures and backgrounds.Strong problem-solving skills.Excellent leadership and public speaking skills.Proven organization and logistical skills.More items...
Why do you want to become a RA? Most students apply because they want to get free meals, accommodation and stipend. Or they like the RA role because it offers an easy way of blending into the community, and getting to know the other students.
“Being an RA teaches skills that help with anything and everything: people skills, conflict management, being responsible for other people and preparing for real life problems.” Overall, being a resident assistant is more than just a job to help pay for college and a good leadership role to put on a resume.
A Resident Assistant, or Resident Care Partner, is responsible for helping residents complete daily tasks. Their duties include overseeing fun activities for residents, assisting residents in eating, bath or do chores and maintaining care records for their facility.
Sample Answer: I'm a great fit for this position because I'm outgoing and love interacting with people. I'm also very organized and have a knack for problem-solving. I'm very excited to be an RA because it will give me the opportunity to help residents and build community.
These are some general questions that are likely to appear during a job interview:
These questions directly relate to the candidate's experience in the role:
Here are five questions you may hear during your next resident assistant interview, with an example answer for each:
The Resident Assistant is all of these people wrapped up into one young student leader bearing down in the trenches wishing and hoping that they are making a difference in the lives of their residents. More often than not, you will never know if, when, and how you impacted your residents.
The RA, although sometimes the least liked role, is a police officer: monitoring floor behavior and documenting offenses to the code of conduct. The RA is a tutor: often putting aside his or her own studies to help students pass that impossible mid-term exam.
The RA is an event coordinator: planning and implementing social, emotional, and educational gatherings. The RA is a conflict mediator: helping to calm roommates ready to do battle over who took who’s laundry detergent without asking.
We can positively affect people’s lives with the gifts that we possess. The action we take today dictates the life that we lead. You have a tremendous amount of responsibility as a Resident Assistant. But you have also been given a wonderful gift. Please do not take it for granted.
Typically, a Resident Assistant is an upperclassman who is responsible for a single floor in a dorm. In some schools, that responsibility could stretch to an entire wing in a dorm. As you can imagine, being an RA involves a number of different responsibilities.
Overseeing Residents. Your primary duty, of course, is to the residents you oversee. While you’ll plan floor meetings and decorate your hall (s) no matter which students you supervise, if you’re assigned to freshmen, you might have extra responsibilities.
Another socially advantageous benefit of being an RA is the potential to “pull” your friends into housing with you. Though each school has a different housing selection process, at some colleges, RAs are assigned their rooms before any other students; if a given RA is placed into a suite, they can choose which friends live with them.
Working as an RA also demonstrates leaderships, problem-solving skills, creativity, teamwork, and time management, along with a host of other soft skills. Those are attractive qualities to future employers as well.
RA training generally involves preparing you for different emergency situations, including evacuation plans, as well as briefing you about more mundane protocol (hours you’ll be required to serve, who you’ll report to, what days you need to be on campus, etc.). This training generally takes place over the summer.
In looking up ways to save money on room and board in college, chances are you’ve seen someone mention being a resident assistant (RA) as an option. But how does one become an RA? And what does an RA do, anyway?
Being a Resident Assistant is Not for Everyone. While there are clear benefits to being an RA, one must not forget that this is a position that carries a lot of responsibility. Both students, and the school are counting on you to do your job, and to do it as effectively as possible. If you have any doubts, interviewing others who have held ...
The purpose of this question is to help the hiring organization figure out why you intend to take the job. You can talk about specific aspects that sparked your interest in this role
The hiring manager asks this question to establish if the interviewee is aware of the duties and responsibilities associated with the position. Candidly explain some of the duties you perform in this role.
In this question, the interviewer is seeking to determine the skills you possess which are essential to this line of work. In brief, discuss the various qualities that make you a good resident assistant.
In this question, the interviewer is focused on understanding the interviewee’s ability to handle difficult situations. Highlight a difficult situation you faced in your role and explain how you overcame it.
Basically, the interviewer expects you to relay an account of events you undertake in your daily routine as a resident assistant. In detail go through your schedule from when your shift starts to when it ends.
The interviewer wants to understand your credentials as a resident assistant and the qualifications you hold. Identity both the professional and academic qualifications you hold.
The interviewer seeks to understand you’re your approach to this role. This includes the methods you employ to obtain the desired results. Clearly outline what you believe is the best approach and mentality.
Most students apply because they want to get free meals, accommodation and stipend. Or they like the RA role because it offers an easy way of blending into the community, and getting to know the other students.
Tell them that you have a good understanding for the ins and outs of life at the dormitory. You can also say that you believe to have the right personality for the position, and good communication skills, and an ability to work independently.
Try to show them that you plan to actively help with social, academic, and personal adjustment of students to the residence hall and University.
The job is not always easy. Sometimes you will answer phone calls late in the night, or you will have to report a friend who had a party in the room (well, at least you will have an obligation to report them, and whether you will follow it or not is your choice).
Resident Assistants are responsible for keeping students safe, engaged and comfortable. Their typical duties and responsibilities can include:
Resident Assistants typically work for assisted living facilities or retirement communities to provide support to residents and their quality of life. They coordinate with other staff members to ensure that residents receive the medical support and nutrition they need.
Since this position involves regularly interacting with students and boosting morale, a Resident Assistant needs many skills to successfully do their job. Some of these skills and qualifications can include:
Resident Assistants make an average of $12.08 per hour. In addition to hourly pay, some Resident Assistants may receive free or discounted housing since they are often required to stay in the dorms with residents. Pay rate may depend on geographical location and institution.
Since Resident Assistants are already enrolled in college courses, they don’t often require previous education besides a high school diploma. However, the university may require them to meet a specific GPA requirement when serving as an RA. Many RA candidates will attend a training course that involves engaging with residents and keeping them safe.
The experience requirements for Resident Assistants vary due to this being an entry-level position. Some employers may prefer applicants who have previously lived in the dorms so that they can apply this experience and knowledge when advising residents.
If this Resident Assistant job description isn’t quite what you’re searching for, this similar job description may be better suited for you:
While your role as an RA may require you to get your residents involved, it will also require you to step past your own comfort zone from time to time and develop some solid leadership skills. You can give back to your community. Being an RA is a feel-good job. You do good work, help people out, help build a sense of community, ...
It looks good on a resume. Let's be honest about this one, too. If you're looking for ways to demonstrate your leadership skills, being an RA looks great on a resume. And you can always use some of your experiences to demonstrate your "practical experience" in a job interview. The hours can be great.
When you're on duty, your room door is often required to be open. Your stuff, your room, your wall decorations: all of it becomes fodder for people who just want to come in and hang out. Additionally, even when you're not on duty, other students may view you as a friendly, accessible person.
It's a major time commitment. Being an RA takes a lot of time. You may need to get your paper done the night you're on call, but if a sick resident appears you have to handle it. Being good at time management is a key skill to learn—early—since your time isn't always your own as an RA. You don't have much privacy.
Resident assistants always have a wide array of recommendations from people who know them in varying capacities. These recommendations can come from professors, their own faculty assistant, from former employers, and from people who can vouch for their responsibility.
Students will often go to their resident assistant to talk about a problem they don’t feel comfortable discussing with anyone else. Sometimes the R.A. can help them by being an objective outsider, and sometimes they help simply by referring the student to the appropriate resource to get them help.
When dorm administrators are looking for people to choose for the positions, they look for candidates who have a total package. These are people who can deal with all sorts of situations and who can handle all of the stress that is oven heaved upon them.
1) The ability to be an authority figure. Resident assistants have to be able to maintain authority as is necessitated by their position while simultaneously being a friend and mentor to every student who is living on their floor or wing of the floor.
Resident assistants have to be alert and are of everything that goes on in the area for which they are responsible. Some colleges and universities may require their resident assistants or prospective resident assistants to undergo drug and alcohol testing. They may even insist on doing this often.
They are able to maintain a high- grade point average despite their social involvement and job as a resident assistant, so that speaks to the fact that these students are extraordinarily adept at managing their time.
A resident assistant cannot counsel a student who is using illegal drugs if they are using something themselves. A resident assistant cannot help a student who has a problem with alcohol if they are abusing alcohol.