Translate your RA work
Use these as starting points. Add your own numbers and results (floor size, number of programs, attendance), and keep every claim true.
| What you do | Transferable skill | How you might say it |
|---|---|---|
| Advising and listening to residents | Active listening, coaching, empathy | Provided peer advising to residents on academic, personal and social concerns. |
| Mediating roommate conflict | Conflict resolution, negotiation | Mediated disputes between residents and reached agreements without escalation. |
| Planning programs | Event planning, budgeting, marketing | Planned and led programs for residents, from idea and budget to promotion and follow-up. |
| Enforcing policy and writing reports | Judgment, documentation, accountability | Enforced community standards and documented incidents accurately and on time. |
| Responding to emergencies and being on duty | Crisis response, composure, reliability | Served as a first responder in emergencies, following protocol and escalating appropriately. |
| Working with a staff team and a supervisor | Teamwork, collaboration | Collaborated with a team of staff on hall initiatives and shared duties. |
| Serving a diverse community | Cultural competence, inclusion | Built an inclusive community for residents from many backgrounds. |
Résumé help from the library
Sample descriptions, links and Dan’s original guidance on using your RA experience.
On this site
- Using your RA experience
- Sample RA résumé descriptions
- Résumé links
- How do I pursue a career in residence life?
- Career Center
Elsewhere on the web
- Marketing your RA position (Swarthmore Career Center, 2024) résumés, interviews and the STAR method