Resident assistant why do you want to be

So, time management is a must. Google Calendar has been an absolute lifesaver for me, and there are so many other great time management tools out there to keep you on track. Working with students means supporting them through their college experience, including all the ups and downs. Doing this effectively takes empathy, compassion, active listening skills, and generally taking a constructive approach toward any problems they may be facing.

Learning to communicate better includes clearly saying what you mean while conveying an appropriate emotion. You learn the power of being both assertive and caring, establishing and communicating your boundaries with compassion.

Unfortunately, life includes crisis moments and residents may call on RAs during such times or may share their experiences after the fact. You might be pulled into situations involving interpersonal violence and mental health emergencies, or be tasked with mediating a roommate disagreement.

Fortunately, no matter the situation, other RAs, as well as professional staff members, will be available for support. Responding to emergency situations and helping to resolve conflicts are applicable skills for many jobs and personal situations you may encounter in the future.

In what job could you say that all the work you do truly has a widespread community impact? Well, this one for sure! By building connections between students and creating an inclusive environment, you get to play a key role in making residents feel comfortable on campus.

And these relationships are really at the center of the community. The impacts that RAs make on campus are far and wide.

By serving as peer educators and mentors, RAs can inspire students to be leaders on campus and get involved. They really are campus heroes! In addition to supporting students, having this job comes with its own support network — a second family of sorts. Being supervised by a hall director means having support and access to advice on crisis response and programming. Hall directors are sources of accountability, knowledge, and are campus heroes to us all.

Because, after all, who are the RAs to the RA?! Shout-out to my supervisor, aka My Sean! The role also exposes RAs to supportive personal and professional networks that come from being a part of the general student affairs division at their institution. Programs promote an engaging, supportive residence hall community that fosters lifelong friendships and encourages new students to get involved.

As a resident assistant, I would organize activities that encourage residents to connect on a deeper level, like poetry slams. Handling sticky situations between residents is one of the most challenging parts of the job since it requires RAs to mediate conflict and come up with solutions that work for everyone — usually under a great deal of pressure.

This question helps you find out if a candidate has a plan of action and knows how to be an effective, confident mediator. Then, I would facilitate a dialogue between the roommates to find the root of the problem, encouraging them to talk through solutions. I would also help them draft a roommate contract. Balancing the time requirements and responsibilities of an RA role with academic and extracurricular commitments is tricky.

Although my major is challenging, I pride myself on my ability to prioritize and stick to tight deadlines. Last semester, I took 18 credit hours, played intramural softball and volunteered on the weekends, but I still had free time that I wanted to apply to something meaningful. Celebrating people from different backgrounds is essential for achieving an inclusive and respectful campus climate.

Resident assistants must maintain a secure dorm environment, respond to crises and address policy violations — all of which require strong leadership skills. While our manager was getting the system fixed, I stepped in. For many freshmen, moving away from home for the first time is an emotionally jarring experience. I would encourage them to come to floor events, tell them about clubs they could join and give them an individual tour of the campus to put them at ease. Most resident assistants in a college or university setting will have limited external work experience.

As such, asking questions about their interpersonal relationships is a good way of determining whether they have the appropriate demeanor and skill set to manage the role of resident assistant.

Asking about past roommate interactions is a great choice, because many college students, especially in their first year, do not choose the people they live with, giving you a more realistic portrait of the resident assistant candidate's relationship-building skills.

I was a little nervous to move in because, as a freshman, I'd never shared a room with anyone before. However, Sam was so great — even though we had very different upbringings and backgrounds, we found lots of things to bond over, like our love of macaroni and cheese and going to the library on Sunday mornings to do our homework.

Sam would probably describe me as a bit shy, but I've definitely found my voice since starting here. Sam would also probably say that I can be too trusting at times, but that my heart is always in the right place. Please note that we are not your career or legal advisor, and none of the information provided herein guarantees a job offer. Post a job. Resident Assistant Questions. Search Resident Assistant Questions:. Question: What would you do if there is a crisis? What the interviewer is looking for: - Ability to remain calm in a crisis - Ability to remain calm in a crisis - Ability to remain calm in a crisis Question: How do you avoid favoritism if a friend of yours is one of your residents?

What the interviewer is looking for: - Ability to remain professional - Ability to remain professional - Ability to remain professional Question: What is your proudest achievement? What the interviewer is looking for: - Passion for a particular cause - Ability to overcome obstacles - Commitment to a goal Question: Why do you think you are a good fit for this position?

What the interviewer is looking for: - Confidence - Desire to be an RA - Motivation Question: What are your strengths that make you a good fit for this position? What the interviewer is looking for: - Ability to work well with others - Ability to work well with others - Ability to work well with others Question: What makes a great RA?

What the interviewer is looking for: - Leadership skills - Ability to work with a variety of people - Communication skills Question: Tell me of a time when you had to deal with something unexpected and how did you handle it? What the interviewer is looking for: - Ability to handle unexpected situations - Ability to remain calm under pressure - Ability to improvise Question: Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision.

What the interviewer is looking for: - Ability to make tough decisions - Ability to make tough decisions - Ability to make tough decisions Question: Why do you want to be an RA? What the interviewer is looking for: - Desire to help others - Desire to help others - Desire to help others Question: What is your idea of a perfect program and how can you use your creativity to advertise these programs to the residents?

What the interviewer is looking for: - Creativity - Ability to think outside the box - Ability to think outside the box.