So I broke down and applied for Residence Life jobs. Yes, I know. I can’t believe it either. What am I thinking? (And as I write this I hope no one who has the power to hire me for one of these jobs reads this and figures out who I am….I know, I know there’s like 0% chance of that happening, but I still worry…)
So let's walk through the pros and cons of this decision:
Reasons Against Working in Res Life
1) I don’t think I have the personality for it.
2) I want clear separation between work and home.
3) I worked in Res Life over the summer and it was not the most enjoyable experience (to put it lightly).
4) I am an introvert; I feel Res Life staff members are usually extroverts.
5) I also feel like you have to be able to handle ambiguity, be okay with unstructuredness (which the computer tells me isn’t a word) and have a sense of humor to work in Res Life. Not that I don’t have a sense of humor, because I do, but unless I really know people, I tend to be quite serious. I don’t think I have a Res Life sense of humor.
Reasons for Working in Res Life
1) Perhaps my experience has skewed my perspective. Perhaps my summer internship experience was atypical; it seemed EXTREMELY unstructured, was missing protocols, etc. All Residence Life departments can’t be like that, right?
2) We all can’t be extrovert, right? Introverts still do amazing work and like to work with people. They are social (like to work with people), but may not be sociable (the life of the party). I don’t have to be the life of the party to be a good RD, right?
3) You get free room and board in Res Life, plus a salary. That could go a long way toward paying back loans and even saving some money.
4) I am learning to relax more and be okay with some unstructuredness/ambiguity. It’s a work in process, but I’m improving.
5) It provides me more job search options (especially in my limited geographic area).
So, in the end, the Reasons For have won out. I have applied to an RD position at one small, private college and one, large, state university. I believe I have more of a chance at the small, private since that’s my background and since that job description only required a Bachelor’s degree. Of course, that could mean I will be overqualified, but we’ll see. One thing that also worries me is I don’t have one full year experience as an RA or Assistant/Graduate Hall Director. However, I believe the skills I’ve learned from other positions are transferable; I mean, they are always telling us these skills are transferable and we should learn to explain how they are. So (like other positions, I’ve applied for….see previous blogs…) I hope the search committees aren’t closed mind and don’t overlook all my other experience just because it’s not in Res Life.
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I understand the draw of a Res. Life position, but would you tell a student that they shouldn't apply to the RA position just for the room a board? As a Res Lifer I'm sure this is coming off pompous, but you shouldn't apply to jobs just to have a job. You won't be doing yourself, your colleagues or your students any justice. I currently work at a small private school and am on the Hall Director search committee. Resumes don't get past the screening phase if you don't have at least one year of graduate level, live-in experience. It really isn't that we are closed-minded, but unfortunately all of those transferrable skills aren't going to help you if you haven't supervised undergraduate student staff members or gone 42 hours without sleeping because of busy duty nights. Those transferrable skills also aren't going to be able to help you plan a training module since you never went through training yourself or talk a student through suicidal ideations when they are on the verge. Basically, Res Life isn't for everyone for a reason and you shouldn't pin your hopes on jobs that you aren't qualified for to begin with. If you aren't passionate about Res Life then it will show through your interview and if you were to get a job in the field then you would really be unhappy.
ReplyDeleteI want to assure you that introverts can do a great job in residence life. I think there are needs for introverts and extroverts to balance each other. I am in Residence Life currently and many of my past supervisors have been introverts. Also, don't be worried about the lack of experience in residence life. I know a few people who never worked in res life until after grad school, you just need to make sure the search committee understands how your skills are transferable. That all being said, don't apply just for room and board. You WILL hate it. But if you truly can see yourself enjoying living with your students, and loving every minute of it, good luck with the jobs you applied for!
ReplyDeleteJust to give a different perspective from someone also has experience on a RD/BD/HD/CD search committee. All committees I have been on have tried very hard to count many transferable skills in our searches. Just read the position description, the skills they are looking for and usually the whole scoring matrix are typically listed right in the description. Take your experiences and make sure you re-word much of your experiences to fit res life lingo. If you have never been on duty then talk about other "Crisis response" experience you have. Typically departments will count related skills if you work hard to re-word it and don't just submit the same resume you sent to other student affairs departments.
ReplyDelete"B" CD
For me, I find being an introvert in Res Life a little difficult at times. Extroverts draw energy from being with others and introverts draw energy from being alone. I can totally understand your reasons for and against getting into Res Life and am glad that you chose to apply anyway. I'm learning a lot about myself and constantly trying to find that balance between having my “me time” and interacting with others. A bit of warning: THIS JOB IS HARD but rewarding. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI am in introvert currently working in res. life. The key is finding a way to create clear cut boundaries. At the beginning of each year, I explain to my students that I have office hours and they are welcome to drop by anytime during those hours. If I'm not duty, I put a sign up on my apartment door that asks them not to disturb me unless it's an emergency. So far, I've had very few issues with those boundaries.
ReplyDeleteI won't lie, it is hard to live where you work. But if you're lucky, you will end up in a supportive environment where you love your co-workers and your students - that makes all the difference!