At USFSP, we will soon be kicking off our recruiting process for next year’s Resident Assistant team. At our school, this means having informational sessions and submitting an application. The next steps are individual interviews as well as a group process interview. As a new RA this school year myself, here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re considering applying for an RA position.
1. It is an enormous commitment.
You’re committing more than just time when you sign your contract. Our contract details what our staff needs from us and what the exact expectations for the job are. You are an RA all the time, not just when you’re on duty and the commitment extends to your personal life as well.
2. You need to want the job for more than the school’s compensation package.
To be blunt about it, the RA job requires a lot of work and will take a lot out of you; it isn’t going to be worth it if all you care about is getting your housing paid for. The RA job is about so much more than free housing! I can say through this job I have learned to advocate for myself, stand up for others, and I’ve learned how to be a leader in situations I never thought I could handle. Not to mention the time management skills and my personal favorite, learning how to say no and put myself and my sanity first.
3. Be prepared to have to step outside of your comfort zone.
You will be faced with uncomfortable circumstances and you will learn how to handle them as they come. You will learn a lot about yourself when you are in these situations.
4. There isn’t a personality type that makes you a good RA.
I was worried that I was too introverted and too passive to make a good RA. Part of the training I did talked about how it isn’t about how outgoing or how authoritative you are that makes you a good RA. It’s about how you use the skills you are given, matched with your personal styles for leadership and communication.
5. You will value free time so much more than you ever have.
It’s one of those “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone” things. Free time was in short supply before, but now it feels like it’s actually a magical occurrence.
6. You’ll get to work with some awesome people.
As an RA, I have met people I probably never would have otherwise. We have different majors and different interests, but the people on my staff are some of my best friends.