Resident Assistant Resume Example

Resident Assistants or Resident Advisors (RA’s) are an integral part of campus life, and dormitory-style living spaces would not be able to run properly without their guidance. 

As an RA, you also hone valuable skills such as management and leadership while performing your residential assistant duties. 

But getting a job as a resident assistant isn’t always simple, especially at more competitive universities. To land the job, you need a strong resume that highlights why you’re the best person for the job.

To help you get there, here are three tips for writing a great resident assistant/resident advisor resume:

1. Format your resume properly

As a resident assistant, you probably don’t have much formal work experience yet. That means your resume really needs to showcase the qualifications you do have.

To do this, you need to use a resume format that showcases your strengths. Start by using a chronological resume, with your most recent experience listed at the top.

The chronological format is easiest to read and is standard for most positions because it lists work experience at the top of your resume, which is generally your biggest selling point as a job seeker.

Then, add a resume profile at the top of the page. This provides you an opportunity to catch the hiring manager’s eye by giving them a deeper dive into why you’re applying and who you are.

Finally, before sending your application out, save your resume as a PDF. That’s because PDF files can’t be altered and are easy to open on any platform. However, first check to see which file format the hiring department/university prefers.

2. Highlight your transferable skills 

Being a great resident assistant requires a variety of different skills, from conflict management to people skills. 

To attract the attention of the hiring manager, your resume needs to show them you have both the hard and soft skills needed to excel on the job.

To show employers what skills you have, you need to do more than just list them in your resume skills section. To truly showcase your strengths, use the work experience section of your resume to highlight which skills you’ve demonstrated in the past.

Here’s an example of resident assistant job descriptions with the skills that they showcase:

If you’re not sure what skills to include on your resume, here are some commonly sought after RA resume skills:

Hard Skills:

• MS Office Suite
• Google Workspace
• Budget Forecasting
• Zoom
• Foreign Language
• CPR Certification

Soft Skills:

• Critical thinking 
• Problem Solving
• Creativity
• Facilitating group discussions
• Conflict Management
• Delegating duties/responsibilities
• Cooperation 
• Leadership skills 
• Organizational skills
• Time management skills
• Communication 
• Teamwork
• Adaptability/Flexibility
• Patience

3. Include extracurricular activities on your resume

If you’re applying for work as a resident assistant, you’re likely still in college and have little or no work experience yet. 

Including extracurricular activities on your resume is a great way to pad out your application and show that you still have transferable skills, even if you haven’t held a job yet.

Some extracurriculars that are great additions to your resident assistant resume are: 

• Being in a fraternity or sorority
• Volunteering at an animal shelter
• Performing community service
• Participating in a debate team
• Being on a sports team

Your extracurricular activities can demonstrate leadership potential, teamwork, and a variety of other skills that are valuable for working as an RA.