Resident Assistants (RAs) can not only do a great job to gain personal and professional skills but also help you to pay for college costs.  RAs works as peer advisors who live and work in student on-campus housing mediating conflicts, addressing personal and interpersonal behavioral issues, ensuring safety and and sometimes helping with academic needs. 

Before you decide to apply to be a Resident Assistant, ensure that the job is the right fit for you.

Resident Assistant Job Qualifications

Typically an RA job description will ask for candidates that have strong communication and problem-solving skills. They may also request for candidates who get along with students from various cultural, religious, ethnic, and racial backgrounds as well as maintain patience and calm when situations escalate. Candidates generally must demonstrate that they are in good academic standing and can maintain their own personal responsibilities when taking on the RA job.  Overall, if you genuinely care about helping others with their social and cognitive development and wide range of emotions plus you can handle doing some paperwork on time, you may want to apply to be an RA.

Resident Assistant Job Duties

When RAs are on duty, they are the first level of response to all sorts of situations in the on campus residence housing.  This means everything from infractions, noise, and safety issues to ensuring the well being of student residents.  Although rule enforcement is high on the list of duties, assisting students specific needs or making referrals to other services are equally important.  Sometimes this means having one on one conversations to understand a resident’s socio-emotional needs or moderating disagreements between roommates or various student residents. 

Many RAs promote having fun, balancing stress, and focusing on academics.  Resident Assistants promote student residents participating in on-campus activities.  In fact, they may communicate about these events in person and on bulletin boards and social media.  Plus, RAs  organize weekly programming or activities to do everything from helping new college students transition to on-campus life to offering de-stressing socials focused on fun, food, or contests. 

Actual hours worked may vary depending on whether the college has specific shifts or whether the expectation is to make themselves available on nights and weekends.  In some ways, RAs are always on duty because they are expected to be a role model.  In actuality, most “work” about 15 hours a week doing programming, safety checks, staff meetings, of ad hoc student meetings (both one on one or in groups). 

Resident Assistant Compensation

RAs typically get free or reduced housing and sometimes get board or food stipends too.  With the 2020-21 average room and board at a public university at $11,620 and at a private college at $13,120, Resident Assistants are being compensated with thousands of dollars.  Plus, this RA compensation is generally not taxable according to IRS Publication 525 but check with your tax advisor to confirm.

Resident Assistant Application

Like other job applications, most RA applications require demographic information and a resume.  In addition, RA applications typically ask essay questions, require one or more written recommendations, and for the set of final candidates in-person interviews.  Many essay questions focus around how you can build a sense of community even when you are dealing with diverse populations.  Generally, you will want to ask a professor, employer, coach, church leader or other community member that has worked with you and knows why you are qualified to be an RA. 



If you get asked to interview for the RA job, then be prepared for many “what if” and behavioral questions like these:

• You have to organize a residence hall event with a budget of $25 dollars.  What would you do and how would you organize it?
• You have a student who shows up at your door and shares something serious with you that they have not shared with others.   How would you approach the situation? What if you thought the student was at risk?
• Think about a time when you noticed who was pretending to be okay. How did you get to the bottom of the situation, and what did you do?
• Talk about a time that you had a conflict with someone whose personality was very different from yours.  How did you handle that?
• Describe a time when you were a successful leader during a stressful time. How did that impact you, and how did you adapt?

Typically you can’t just apply for a Resident Assistant job at any time.  Be prepared to watch for the dates.  The deadline to apply to be an RA varies from college to university.  Some are set in November for the next academic year whereas others have deadlines in January or March. 

Resident Assistant is a Meaningful Experience

The skills you develop while being an RA are easily transferable in your future career.  As Joanne Ho said to the University of Washington Resident Education Team,  “Beyond the invaluable skills and experience I gained as an RA, this job also gave me the mentors, colleagues, friends, and communities that were integral to my growth as a student, a leader, a learner, and an educator.”   Working with diverse people, managing obligations and enforcing rules, and maintaining a positive and professional attitude are all exceptional skills that employers value.  Plus, this job will shape you as a person.