How to become a Resident Assistant (RA) - Tips For Your Interview!

Being an RA is a role that a lot of people look forward to applying for before even getting to college. If you've ever spoken to anyone about reducing the cost of college, the option of applying to be an RA probably came up.

The problem is what most people don't tell you is that applying to be a resident assistant is very competitive. Just about everyone has heard about the great perks so the competition is fierce.

Yes, it comes with a ton of perks and benefits but like any other interview, you are applying for a job so you still need to have the skills and personality meant to fit the job.

The first time I applied to be an RA I didn't get it.

I had been so excited to apply and over the moon about all the possible perks like a free single dorm room and a meal plan, but I didn't really stop to really think about the position like a job and when the interviews rolled around I wasn't prepared to think of what perspective I brought to the table and how I would serve my residents.

Learn from my mistake, don't let that be you.

Not only can RA interviewers sniff out the people who are just applying for free stuff from a mile away, but also when you get the job you will be expected to work. Being an RA comes with a lot of responsibilities so you want to have a gameplan from the very beginning.

The first and most important tip I can give you is that getting the RA position starts way before you ever step into that interview. What most people don’t tell you is that the interviewers are gonna go based on how you show up as a leader on your campus.

So does that mean you have to everywhere and in everyone’s face?

No, but it does mean you need to show up in the places that matter to you. If you spend all your time in your dorm room doing classwork, the interviewers won’t have anything to compare your leadership to other than your resume.

Being an RA is a front-facing job so they’re looking for students who they've seen interact and help other students during the course of the academic year.

Tips for Before The Inteview:

Interact with your current RA’s: A lot of you may not know but most of the time the RA on your floor will be apart of your resident assistant interview and they will be asked about you and if they don’t have good things to say about you then your chances of getting the position are slim to none.

Also, it’s good to interact with your RA because they’ve been through the process and if you have a good relationship with them you can ask them about their interview process! Now you don’t have to be besties with your RA or even love them but you should be on good terms with all if not one RA in your residence building.

Be a leader on your campus: Again alot of the work in the RA interview is going to determine if you would be a good leader for the residents in your building and if you are already showing those leadership qualities on your campus then half the work of the interview is done!

This doesn’t necessarily mean being the president of every club but it’s about building your reputation on campus where your professor and peers can vouch that you are in fact a responsible and helpful person.

This also relates to your recommendations, if you never interact with administration and your professors, when its time to write a recommendation they won’t have a lot to say but if you make it a point to sign up for volunteer opportunities and being apart of campus organizations then your recommenders will have plenty to say because they’ve interacted with you a lot!

PRO TIP: Your recommendations are one of the most important parts of your application so make sure that you pick people who will rave about you and not give a lukewarm evaluation even if that means going with someone with a “lower” title!

Listen to the feedback from current residents: This a tip that will be helpful when it comes time for your interview. If you aren’t in the loop about what happens in the residence life building (not just your own) or you simply don’t even interact with those on your floor you won’t have genuine answers when they ask a question like what would you like to improve or what kind of programs do you think will be helpful. If you keep up-to-date with what happening and what can be improved, it will make you much more compelling in the interview since they’re expecting most people to have the same answers.

Don’t pretend to be something you're not: With all the tips I've listed above it can make it seem like you need to be everywhere doing everything but that’s not the case at all. You don’t need to be an extrovert or an overachieving student but you do need to be intentional about the ways in which you show up.

For example in my case, I’m an introvert and I was only apart of 2 organization and at the time I wasn’t on exec board of any of them, but what helped is that I developed a great relationship with my the advisor of my organization through speaking with her at our events and when the time came she actually volunteered to write my recommendation and she was very invested in my application. When the interview came around it was an extra boost of confidence because I knew that I had someone support before even going into the interview.

Follow Res life on social platforms (get caught up to date): This tip is so that you can keep on top of it when they start to release information about interviews and events during application season. Usually most residence life offices not only do they release applications but they also host info sessions so they can ask questions and in some cases (like mine) the info sessions were mandatory so if you didn’t attend you couldn’t apply.

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RA Interview Tips

Show up early with all the materials needed: Bring a pen or a pencil, a notepad, and any other application materials they may have asked for
Don’t try to outshine anyone: Yes it’s a competitive process but it’s always a bad look when someone trie to monopolize the group conversation and go above everyone else. Remember the interviewers are looking at how you work in a team.
Don’t always go with the crowd: Yes, you want to be a good team player (always) but it’s important to stick with your gut during the interview because it shows that you don’t just go with the crowd and you’ll be able to think on your feet. For example, during my interview they asked us to rank the most important issue we would deal with as RA’s in a group and for one of the answers I disagreed with my group and I was the only one with a different answer, so instead of just not saying anything, I let my group know why I would prioritize the one I chose and ultimately we compromised by moving it up on the priority list. After my interview, my interviewers said that they appreciated the way I handled my differing opinion. Of course, don’t do that if it’s not organic but it’s okay to have a different perspective during the group interviews just approach it in a respectful way!
Talk to the other interviewees: Most of the RA interviews will be in a group setting so it is crucial that you communicate and try to get to know your other interviewees. Try to think of them as already a part of your Reslife team and not your competition. Help and fill in when needed but also give everyone a chance to do their own thing.
Listen carefully to the questions: This tip is mostly for your solo interview. A lot of the question will be scenarios and you don’t want to rush and come up with any old answer but instead, you want to take a few seconds and think about the question and then give an honest answer, don't try to be impressive because it can come off as obnoxious just give your genuine feedback and it's also totally okay to ask clarifying questions, it’s even encouraged because you want the full scope of the question.
Have questions to ask at the end: Make sure you have at least two questions to ask at the end of your one on one interview. Don't just ask because you need to but ask because you want to show that you’re thinking critically about the role. Ask questions about what has been a recurring issue that they hope to solve or what their goals are for the following year or how many residents do they expect to have the following semester. Make sure your questions are specific and tailored to the residential building at your school.
Know what building/ Residents you could help specifically: Lastly, it helps to go into the interview with a residential building that you’d like to be an RA for and use that to answer your interview questions and your group sessions. If you can bring up specific issues from that building or a tailored plan for that residence hall then it let the interviewers know that you gave the position a lot of thought and didn’t just think “ I wanna be an RA”. While it’s very possible that you won’t actually get the building that you chose its still help because it gives you a concrete way to envision your role as a future RA.