Are you looking for the best jobs in college? It’s hard to say which one is the best job in college, but it is clear that having a job in college has its benefits as I discussed two weeks ago. Every job in college is as “normal” as an office job in college. In fact, I am going to be discussing a radically different type of job in college: Resident Assistants. For those of you who don’t know, this is part of the Thursday series that I am writing now on jobs in college.

What is a Resident Assistant?

When I say resident assistant, do you know what that is? If you have been away from college for some time now, you may not be that familiar with the term. A residential assistant is student job working for the office of residential life. This job consists of working in the dormitories. Typically a Resident Assistant, also known as RA, will live and work on the same floor in his/her dorm. An RA is charged with keeping the peace, making sure no major damage is done to the property or furnishings, and some administrative tasks.

What are the Benefits of RA’s?

Considering that college students can be a rowdy group of people, why would anyone want this type of job in college? What kind of benefits would make this worth the demands of a RA? As it turns out, RA’s are often paid by getting free room and board. That’s right – in exchange for the pressures that they have to put up with, RA’s get free housing and often part of their meal plan. This isn’t that bad considering that housing costs are increasing each and every year.

The task of being a RA also provides much personal development. As a RA, you are expected to resolve conflicts among your residents. That’s right – when one resident has a problem with another, it is often the RA that is expected to step in or help create a resolution. This can be difficult at times, but being an RA means that you have been trained to deal with these type of situations. Resident Assistants often go through training at the beginning of the semester and given the skills to handle what can be very serious issues.

Between learning conflict resolution and getting free housing, being an Resident Assistant or more generally, working for Residential life, can be a legitimate option for a college student looking for a job while in college. If you play your cards right, you may even set yourself up for a professional position after graduation.

featured image provided by o5com via flickr

Did you ever consider being a resident assistant? Do you think this is the best option for college students?