Resident Assistant Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Resident Assistant resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Resident assistants (RAs) are student staff members who live in student housing and help maintain a safe and secure living environment for their fellow students. They’re the first point of contact for students who have questions or need help, and they play an integral role in making sure that everyone is having a good time here at school.
If you love interacting with people, want a job that allows you to help others, and enjoy being part of a close-knit community, a position as an RA might be right up your alley. And if you have some experience in customer service or want to build up your resume before applying for more senior roles, an RA position is a great place to start.
Here are some tips to help you write a stellar resident assistant resume that will get you noticed by hiring managers at top universities across the country.
How to Write a Resident Assistant Resume
Here’s how to write a resident assistant resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters will read. And they’re the best way to showcase your experience and skills.
But many candidates make the mistake of using generic bullet points that don’t really tell a story or provide any context about their experience.
Instead, you should use your bullet points to tell a story about your experience. And that story should be about how you helped improve the lives of others or contributed to the success of a project.
For example, rather than saying you “assisted residents with daily activities,” you could say you “developed and implemented a new wellness program that reduced the number of emergency room visits by 20% in the first six months.”
Related: What Is a Resident Assistant? How to Become One
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
Most resident assistant (RA) roles require you to submit your resume through an applicant tracking system (ATS). This program will scan your resume for specific keywords related to the position, like “crisis intervention” or “community outreach.” If your resume doesn’t have enough of the right terms, the ATS might automatically reject your application.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, make sure to include some of these commonly used resident assistant keywords:
- Community Outreach
- Public Speaking
- Event Planning
- Teamwork
- Time Management
- Social Media
- Customer Service
- Communication
- Research
- Leadership
- Data Entry
- Higher Education
- Organization Skills
- Adobe Photoshop
- Team Leadership
- Microsoft Access
- Public Relations
- Critical Thinking
- Personal Development
- Problem Solving
- Residential Life
- Marketing
- College Student Services
- Event Management
- Cooperation
- AutoCAD
- Customer Support
- Cooperation with Colleagues
- Research Skills
- Management
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a resident assistant, you are responsible for providing support to students and helping them to adjust to living in on-campus housing. In order to do this effectively, you need to be proficient in the use of technology. Some of the programs and systems that you will likely be using include: student information systems, communication platforms like Microsoft Teams or Slack, and online learning platforms like Blackboard or Canvas. Additionally, you may be called on to use specific software programs or applications related to your industry, so it is important to be familiar with as many programs as possible.
Related: How Much Does a Resident Assistant Make?
Remember The Basics
As you draft your resume, you’ll want to keep a few basic guidelines in mind.
Create Easy-to Scan Sections
There are a few things you can do to make your resume easier to read and understand quickly. Aligning everything to the left, using a standard font type and size, and keeping bullets under 2 lines will help make your resume more skimmable. You should also try to leave some white space on the page to help the recruiter easily scan through your information.
Be Concise
A resume should typically be one or two pages long, depending on the amount of experience you have. A one-page resume is ideal for recent graduates or people with less than 10 years of experience, while a two-page resume is more appropriate for those with more experience. When trimming down a resume, focus on removing irrelevant information and making the content concise and easy to read.
Check Your Work
It is important to proofread your resume before submitting it to potential employers. proofreading your resume will help you catch any spelling mistakes, punctuation mistakes, or grammatical errors. Additionally, be sure to use the proper tense for each job you list, and capitalize all proper nouns. Having someone else proofread your resume can be helpful in catching any mistakes that you may have missed.
Consider Including a Summary
A resume summary statement is an excellent way to show a potential employer how your skills and experiences can benefit their company. It is also a way to show that you are a good fit for the position you are applying for. In order to write a good summary statement, you should tailor it to the specific job you are applying for. You should also make sure to highlight your best skills and experiences. Finally, make sure to keep it to just a couple of sentences.
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