We know through our student educational work, whether within a curricular model or otherwise, that student learning happens with or without us. While every school has its own needs and philosophies informing their process, most schools incorporate current RAs in some part of the process. Participating in interviews on the other side of the table, so-to-speak, is a great opportunity for RAs to grow professionally regardless of their major and career ambitions. While we often focus career development within the RA role on transferable skills, it is important to recognize that interviewing is also a skill. Taking an active role to help RAs better understand the intention and process of selection can help them make meaningful connections to inform their own professional path forward,
Pull Back the Curtain
RAs won’t know what goes into the selection process unless they are told. They do not see the time and thought that went into creating the application, finetuning the questions to ask that align with the skills you are looking for, or masterminding the schedule that meets the needs of your department and the candidates. Some easy ways to pull back the curtain for RAs to get a glimpse into the world of selection are:
- Explain the Philosophy – What skills are you looking for in a candidate? What does the process look like from beginning to end? Why were those choices made? Answers to these questions help shape RAs understanding of the
- Show the rubrics – especially if RAs are going to help interview and score candidates. Take this a step further by using skits or role play to illustrate what various answers would be scored in alignment with the rubric. We have all seen candidates with great energy who are saying a lot nothing – RAs should understand how to use the rubric to score based on the content being shared rather than vibes.
- Set Expectations – RAs should understand their role in the process and what is expected of them during this time. While expectations may cover a broad spectrum of standards, one often missed element is setting expectations for how to answer candidate questions. Make sure to talk about ways to answer questions authentically and appropriately – keeping things simple, candidate centered, and with recruitment in mind.
Designate Time to Reflect
While stories from interviews and selection processes will likely come up naturally, creating designated space for reflection, not just storytelling, is crucial for RAs to not just understand being on the other side of the interview table but connecting those reflections to their next steps in their own journey whether it be interviews for scholarships, internships, or jobs after college. Whether in a staff meeting, weekly log, or one-on-one, intentional guided questions will help RAs connect the dots for their own professional development rather than just collect stories in hopes that meaning is being made. Here are some example questions that can be easily altered for the context, timing, and setting of your reflection:
- What were some behaviors that positively stood out to you in the interviews you were a part of? What behaviors negatively stood out?
- This should come with a reminder of take the stories, not the names or what’s shared here stays here, what’s learned here leaves here – keep candidate identifies confidential and respected even if it was a learning moment for your staff member
- As we go through RA interviews, many candidates have asked what we are looking for in our RAs. What are 2-3 skills you believe are important to the RA role and which skill have you developed the most in?
- If you were to choose 3 questions to ask RA candidates during interviews, what questions would you ask?
- You can take this a step further by asking questions related to a specific skillset used in the job or asking a tangential question about what questions they would ask in an interview for a position they would want after graduation.
- Look up common interview questions for your career field. What question do you feel most prepared to answer? What question would you need more time, experience, or knowledge to answer to the best of your ability?
- Now having been part of the interview process, what advice would you give your past self or current candidates going into the interview process?
The next step after this reflection would be to continue conversations about how RAs can talk about the RA role in the context of their career field through their resume and interview answers. These questions and reflections provide a strong foundation for helping RAs articulate their transferable skills and life experiences in meaningful, industry-specific ways that benefit their future career journeys.
Hannah Elliott (she/hers) is an Assistant Director of Residential Engagement and Staff Training at California State University, Long Beach. She has a B.A. in Communications with a Minor in American Studies from CSU Fullerton as well as a M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University. Her passions within the field include helping students make meaning of their experiences and guiding student learning in informal and formal education spaces. Hannah is a yapper who loves to read, write, crochet, and cuddle up with her two orange cats while watching TV.
