How to Become a Resident Assistant
Guidelines for Strenghtening an RA Application
A decent on-campus job is generally tough to come by, especially one which isn’t bound by work-study requirements. One of the most competitive jobs to acquire on campus also happens to be one of the most rewarding. Free room and board, no roommates, and even a stipend at some schools, Resident Assistants undoubtedly reap the rewards of on-campus employment!
Getting Involved on Campus
The best way to build a resume for the Resident Assistant (RA) job, is to get out there and get involved! With the RA selection process starting up during the beginning months of the second semester, all candidates will be interviewed by existing RAs! That means that attending programs, being visible throughout the residence hall, and showing up to campus events need to become a top priority.
Hall Government
The easiest way to get involved on campus is to start within the residence hall itself. The vast majority of dorms have some form of student run hall government which utilizes a per semester budget for hall-wide events. Joining such a group will allow for a more in-depth perspective on the RA position as many RAs are expected to attend and recruit members. At the very least, joining the hall government will create new relationships and make the on-campus housing experience a great deal better!
Residence Hall Association
Similar to the hall governments, many schools have an organization that oversees all the dorms, commonly known as the Residence Hall Association (RHA). With a significantly higher budget than the halls, the RHA is responsible for implementing campus wide programs and an array of leadership development opportunities. Getting involved within this organization is an ideal approach to getting the necessary exposure on campus!
Following the Rules
Besides getting involved on campus, the next important step to acquiring a position as an RA is to stay out of trouble! Candidates who have been constantly written up for violating school policies can rest assured that their application will go straight to the denied pile. Because a significant portion of the RA job revolves around holding fellow students accountable, most student life offices will be seeking out candidates with clean records. Just because a student has been written up doesn’t automatically rule them out, however, the cleaner the student record, the better!
Maintaining a Solid GPA
The last step in becoming an ideal RA candidate has to do with the student’s current academic standing. Most institutions hold their Resident Assistants to a minimum GPA of 2.5. Because RAs are given such large benefits like free room and board, administrators want to ensure that their RAs can juggle a full class load on top of the unique stress that come with the job. A solid candidate will have a minimum GPA of 3.0, however, anything less than that can be compensated by their level of involvement and clean judicial history.
The position of Resident Assistant is the one the most sought out student jobs on campuses throughout the country. By becoming an active participant in residence hall and campus events, maintaining a clean judicial record, and by keeping grades up, RA candidates will have a much higher chance of making it to the group interview stage!
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