Resident Assistant Resume: Examples and Tips
Resident assistants (RA) help supervise students living in college dormitories and other residential settings. Their duties usually involve resolving complaints, responding to emergencies, enforcing residence regulations, and ensuring appropriate behavior according to school or institution rules. For this job, you should have strong leadership skills, and exceptional communication and organizational abilities.
To create a professional resume for a resident assistant position, follow these expert tips and resume examples:
Table of Contents
Featured Resume Example: Resident Assistant
Name: CHERYL BLOSSOM
Address: City, State, Zip Code
Phone: 000-000-0000
E-Mail: email@email.com
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Dedicated and outgoing Assistant Resident skilled in leadership and team building. Highly adept at coordinating student support and implementing conflict resolution strategies. Talented in critical thinking and problem-solving.
SKILLS
- Student Advisory
- Residential Support
- Effective Planning
- Reporting
- Conflict Resolution
- First Aid and CPR Certified
- Cleaning
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
Residency Maintenance
- Conduct bi-weekly drop-byes with each third – and fourth – floor resident.
- Hosted 4 events for residents during first month of each semester
- Maintain open “office hours” most weekdays from 4:30 to 7:30; meet with students regarding anything needed.
Student Interaction
- Introduced students to extracurricular groups and student organizations across campus.
- Offered cost-free tutoring, referrals for other services across campus.
- Coordinated with 4 other RA’s to organize monthly events exclusive to on-campus students.
School Administration
- Consulted with parents to build and maintain positive support networks and support continuing education strategies.
- Introduced special outreach programs to department chair in effort to increase institution’s interest in community service.
- Modified general education curriculum for special-needs students based on various instructional techniques and technologies.
WORK HISTORY
RESIDENT ASSISTANT
07/2018 to Current
Company Name, City, State
STUDENT STORE CASHIER
06/2016 to 05/2018
Company Name, City, State
TEACHER’S AIDE
07/2013 to 07/2015
Company Name, City, State
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
City, State
Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class Resident Assistant Resume
- Summary Tie in your major accomplishments with your best skills and personal traits in a few sentences, telling employers exactly who you are as a job candidate. For example: “Diligent Resident Assistant with 2 years’ experience attending to student needs and activities, encouraging a positive environment.”
- Skills Browse through the job description to note relevant skills, match them with your own abilities, and add them to this section. Lay equal emphasis on practical skills such as housekeeping and facilities maintenance, counseling and administrative support, as well as soft skills such as problem-solving, multitasking, conflict resolution and empathy.
- Work History To make the right impression in this section, stress instances from previous jobs where you outperformed your duties and made a positive impact. Stress key achievements rather than listing everyday work duties. For example: “Developed and implementing recreational programs to relieve stress” or “Mediated and provided conflict resolution in a professional and timely manner.”
- Education Include your highest academic credential, such as a high school diploma or associate degree, along with any specialized training or certifications you have in areas such as education, psychology, counseling or administrative work.
See Why My Perfect Resume is a 5-Star Resume Builder
Find the Right Template for Your Resume
Create a resume that makes a polished visual statement by using our employer-ready templates:
Cool
This template features strong shades of color for a clean yet creative look. The two-column layout makes finding your work history and skills easy.
Acclaimed
The monogram design for this layout adds a unique touch, while section headings are arranged on the left for quick navigation.
Distinguished
This streamlined layout is suitable for just about any kind of job. Featuring elegant fonts and evenly spaced-out sections, the document is easily customizable.
Visit our resume templates section for even more designs to choose from.
Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume
- DO create a powerful elevator pitch for your summary. To catch recruiters’ attention and stand out from other applicants, use your summary as an “elevator pitch” — a concise summation of who you are and why you’re a valuable employee. Feature the top work achievements and responsibilities you’ve had. For example: “Responsible Resident Assistant with experience in handling disciplinary issues and managing student events,” or “Experienced Resident Assistant adept at developing academic, peer counseling, team building, and leadership initiatives.”
- DO proofread your resume before sending it in. Even with the best credentials, a resume with even a single silly typo or grammatical error will likely find its way to a hiring manager’s recycling bin. Give your document a thorough review, and take the time to double-check the information you provide, making sure it’s accurate and up to date. You can save yourself some time by using our Resume Builder, which will check your resume for mistakes.
- DO customize your resume for every job. No job — not even jobs in the same profession — is exactly the same. To make sure you get the most out of your resume, create a different version for each job you apply to, updating your summary, work history and skills sections with information that addresses what the specific job wants. Scan through the job listing to find key terms and phrases that define job tasks and requirements, and make sure you feature experiences and abilities in your resume that closely match those requirements. For more tips on customizing your resume, see our article How to Create a Targeted Resume.
- DON’T make your resume too long.Hiring managers appreciate a resume that gets to the point — to make sure your resume does so, stick with punchy bullet points and phrases instead of long, verbose sentences, and feature only the work accomplishments and skills that directly apply to the job. (For example, maybe your songwriting abilities are laudable, but they don’t apply to resident assistant work). Stick to examples from the last 10 years of your work history. Aim for a document that’s two-pages long at most.
- DON’T shy away from using action verbs. What sounds better to you: “Assisted in student activity management,” or “Managed student activities”? The difference lies in the verbs you use. Instead of weak language like “Assisted in” or “Tasked with,” use strong verbs such as “Implemented,” “planned,” “managed” and “oversaw” to describe your responsibilities and achievements, and present yourself as someone who’s in charge of your accomplishments.
- DON’T forget to write your achievements in quantifiable terms. Complement your work achievements with numbers and statistics to give potential employers a more well-rounded picture of your capabilities. Instead of writing “Resolved conflicts between residents,” for example, explain your achievement in measurable terms: “Managed resident conflict mediation, bringing number of reported incidents down by 80%.”
Resident Assistant Resume FAQs
- 1. What tangible and intangible skills are appropriate for a resident assistant resume?
- 2. What resume format should you use for a resident assistant resume?
- 3. How do you get the right keywords into a resume?
- 4. What are some examples of training and certifications that fit a resident assistant resume?
- 5. What should you avoid putting in your resume?
1. What tangible and intangible skills are appropriate for a resident assistant resume?
| Hard skills: | Soft skills: |
| Computer skills | Critical thinking |
| Documentation | Attention to detail |
| Knowledge of college programs | Effective communication |
| Counseling | Problem-solving |
| Administrative support | Task prioritization |
| Organizational ability | |
| Time management | |
| Logistical skills | |
| Empathetic listening | |
| Conflict Resolution | |
| Coaching | |
| Interpersonal relations |
| Hard Skills: |
| Computer skills |
| Documentation |
| Knowledge of college programs |
| Counseling |
| Administrative support |
| Soft skills: |
| Critical thinking |
| Attention to detail |
| Effective communication |
| Problem-solving |
| Task prioritization |
| Organizational ability |
| Time management |
| Logistical skills |
| Empathetic listening |
| Conflict Resolution |
| Coaching |
| Interpersonal relations |
2. What resume format should you use for a resident assistant resume?
Your format, or how you organize your resume, will depend on your experience level. If this will be your first resident assistant experience, use the functional format, which underscores your skills and training rather than your work history. On the other end of the spectrum, if you have plenty of related experience to fall back on, use the chronological format, which focuses on your education and counseling responsibilities in previous jobs and activities. The combination format is a good middle ground if you want to feature both relevant skills and work experiences
3. How do you get the right keywords into a resume?
Read through the job description, and make a list of key phrases that describe what the job needs (e.g., “working with students on community integration and socialization” or “a high level of personal integrity”). Come up with experiences and abilities that fit these keywords, and add them throughout your resume. For example, you could write “Dedicated Resident Assistant who maintains strict standards of integrity” in your summary, or list “student management” in your skills section, or write about a previous work experience where you successfully encouraged student socialization. For more keyword tips, visit our article How to Use Keywords Effectively.
4. What are some examples of training and certifications that fit a resident assistant resume?
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
- Certification in CPR and First Aid
- Functional Manual Therapy Certification
- Completion of accredited resident assistant training program
- Crisis management training
5. What should you avoid putting in your resume?
- An objective statement: Objective statements, in which you inform potential employers of your career goals, tend to be looked on as old-fashioned. Stick with a summary statement, which explains why you’re an attractive job candidate.
- Buzzwords like “outside the box thinker” or “best of breed”: Generic terms like these don’t explain much — you’re better off being as specific you can about your accomplishments and skills.
- References: If employers request references, they’ll usually ask you to send them separately. Don’t clutter up your resume with a reference list; focus instead on providing more details about your qualifications.
Pair Your Resume with a Matching Cover Letter
