Becoming a Resident Advisor Part One

By Kelsey Hayes on November 18, 2012

Photo courtesy of cappex.com

Becoming a Resident Advisor, Part one:

What is a resident advisor (RA)? The RA is the peer advisor for a dorm. They are responsible for helping the students that live in the dorm. Many say that this is the most rewarding job on campus, but is also claimed to be one of the hardest. Becoming an RA can be difficult for someone who has issues with self-esteem simply because the job requires you to have confidence in yourself so that you can give confidence to others that need it. Here are a few simple steps to help improve your chances of becoming an RA.

Before starting the application…

If you get the chance to see the application before actually applying look over it carefully. This will help you because you can see exactly what the questions are and work on wording them well. Whether or not you can see the application, it is very important that you get involved in college and off campus. Employers are looking for people that have leadership skills and people that can handle a variety of situations. Before you start the actual application think about the questions carefully, and answer them to the best of your ability.

Before the interview….

You will most likely go through an interview process. The best advice I can give you is this: do not panic. It may seem intimidating, but remember confidence is key and that is what the interviewers will be looking for. Before the interview, look online to find sample questions and practice beforehand. When answering the questions they ask, breathe and think about your answer. Only answer the questions that they ask you, its okay to get personal, however do not get off track. Talking too fast or answering too fast can give the impression that you are just saying any thing that comes to mind. Plus this helps you in the long run, you might come up with an answer that you wouldn’t normally think of if you just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. Rehearsing these types of questions allows you to think about your answers and to practice slowing down before answering.

Look for the remaining parts of this section, coming soon!

Best of Luck :)

-K.

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