Residential Advisors
Overview
SaveJob Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
Coordinate activities in resident facilities in secondary school and college dormitories, group homes, or similar establishments. Order supplies and determine need for maintenance, repairs, and furnishings. May maintain household records and assign rooms. May assist residents with problem solving or refer them to counseling resources.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $49K |
| Median: | $31K |
| Low: | $21K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- Communicate with other staff to resolve problems with individual students.
- Observe students to detect and report unusual behavior.
- Provide emergency first aid and summon medical assistance when necessary.
- Supervise, train, and evaluate residence hall staff, including resident assistants, participants in work-study programs, and other student workers.
- Make regular rounds to ensure that residents and areas are safe and secure.
- Mediate interpersonal problems between residents.
- Enforce rules and regulations to ensure the smooth and orderly operation of dormitory programs.
- Determine the need for facility maintenance and repair, and notify appropriate personnel.
- Collaborate with counselors to develop counseling programs that address the needs of individual students.
- Develop and coordinate educational programs for residents.
- Develop program plans for individuals or assist in plan development.
- Oversee departmental budget.
- Provide requested information on students' progress and the development of case plans.
- Administer, coordinate, or recommend disciplinary and corrective actions.
- Answer telephones, and route calls or deliver messages.
- Confer with medical personnel to better understand the backgrounds and needs of individual residents.
- Counsel students in the handling of issues such as family, financial, and educational problems.
- Accompany and supervise students during meals.
- Hold regular meetings with each assigned unit.
- Process contract cancellations for students who are unable to follow residence hall policies and procedures.
- Supervise students' housekeeping work to ensure that it is done properly.
- Compile information such as residents' daily activities and the quantities of supplies used to prepare required reports.
- Supervise the activities of housekeeping personnel.
- Assign rooms to students.
- Provide transportation or escort for expeditions, such as shopping trips or visits to doctors or dentists.
- Direct and participate in on- and off-campus recreational activities for residents of institutions, boarding schools, fraternities or sororities, children's homes, or similar establishments.
- Chaperone group-sponsored trips and social functions.
- Order supplies for facilities.
- Sort and distribute mail.
- Inventory, pack, and remove items left behind by former residents.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
89%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administration and Management
85%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Public Safety and Security
81%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Education and Training
80%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language
79%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Sociology and Anthropology
75%
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Administrative
71%
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Personnel and Human Resources
70%
Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Therapy and Counseling
69%
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Psychology
64%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Top 10 Skills
Social Perceptiveness
80%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening
78%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Coordination
75%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring
75%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking
75%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
73%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Negotiation
73%
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Service Orientation
73%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Time Management
73%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Persuasion
68%
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity
80%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Speech Clarity
75%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
73%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Deductive Reasoning
68%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Written Comprehension
68%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Inductive Reasoning
63%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Near Vision
63%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Written Expression
63%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Top 10 Work Activities
Assisting and Caring for Others
95%
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
89%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
87%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
84%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
83%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Getting Information
82%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
81%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
80%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Documenting/Recording Information
79%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
78%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Detailed Work Activities
- Communicate with management or other staff to resolve problems.
- Monitor patron activities to identify problems or potential problems.
- Evaluate employee performance.
- Train service staff.
- Supervise service workers.
- Administer first aid.
- Monitor environment to ensure safety.
- Mediate disputes.
- Enforce rules or regulations.
- Inspect facilities.
- Develop plans for programs or services.
- Develop educational or training programs.
- Teach daily living skills or behaviors.
- Inform individuals or organizations of status or findings.
- Collect information about clients.
- Enforce rules or policies governing student behavior.
- Perform administrative or clerical tasks.
- Provide counsel, comfort, or encouragement to individuals or families.
- Meet with coworkers to communicate work orders or plans.
- Maintain client information or service records.
- Accompany individuals or groups to activities.
- Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
- Manage budgets for personal services operations.
- Prepare administrative documents.
- Assign resources or facilities to patrons or employees.
- Provide escort or transportation.
- Organize recreational activities or events.
- Deliver items.
- Store items.
- Package materials or products.
Education
Interests
Social
78%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Conventional
65%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Enterprising
54%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Realistic
38%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Investigative
36%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Artistic
33%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Work Values
Relationships
91%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Support
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Achievement
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions
55%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition
43%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.