BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasResidential Advisors

O*NET · 39-9041.00

Residential Advisors

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.

Also called Cottage Parent · Cottage Supervisor · Dormitory Counselor · Dormitory Supervisor · Hall Coordinator · Hall Director · House Father · House Mother
32 more

House Parent · Housefellow · Housing and Residence Life Director · Housing Assistant · Housing Director · Residence Director · Residence Hall Director · Residence Life Coordinator · Residence Life Director · Residence Supervisor · Resident Advisor · Resident Aide · Resident Assistant · Resident Care Assistant · Resident Director · Resident Life Director · Resident Monitor · Residential Advisor · Residential Aide · Residential Assistant · Residential Coordinator · Residential Counselor · Residential Director · Residential Instructor · Residential Life Director · Residential Service Coordinator · Residential Services Specialist · Residential Specialist · Residential Support Specialist · Sorority Mother · Sorority Supervisor · Student Development Coordinator

Job Zone 3 — Medium Preparation NeededHolland code SCE35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Recreation Workers

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed

Medium preparation. Vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or an associate degree, with one to two years of training that combines experience and informal instruction.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

SCESocial · Conventional · Enterprising — the three strongest interests, in order

  • S Social5.28
  • C Conventional4.63
  • E Enterprising3.81
  • R Realistic2.82
  • I Investigative2.37
  • A Artistic2.25

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Less than a High School Diploma7%
  • High School Diploma or the equivalent2%
  • Some College Courses50%
  • Bachelor's Degree31%
  • Master's Degree3%
  • Doctoral Degree6%
Related work experience
None (56%)
On-site or in-plant training
Up to and including 1 month (51%)
On-the-job training
Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (48%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Social Perceptiveness4.03.5Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Active Listeningbasic3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Speakingbasic3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Monitoringbasic3.83.6Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Coordination3.83.4Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Time Management3.63.3Level 4 looks like: Allocate the time of subordinates to projects for the coming week
  • Service Orientation3.63.1Level 4 looks like: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site
  • Negotiation3.63.0Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Persuasion3.43.0Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.13.4Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
Show the other 23
  • Complex Problem Solving3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Lay out tools to complete a job
  • Active Learningbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
  • Writingbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant
  • Instructing2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Systems Analysis2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Systems Evaluation2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Management of Material Resources2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Management of Financial Resources2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Mathematicsbasic2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Operations Monitoring2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Operations Analysis2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Quality Control Analysis2.01.3Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Technology Design1.90.9
  • Operation and Control1.81.0Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Troubleshooting1.80.9
  • Programming1.40.5
  • Sciencebasic1.40.4
  • Equipment Maintenance1.0—
  • Equipment Selection1.0—
  • Installation1.0—
  • Repairing1.0—

Tasks

20 core · 10 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Communicate with other staff to resolve problems with individual students.4.6
  2. Observe students to detect and report unusual behavior.4.4
  3. Supervise, train, and evaluate residence hall staff, including resident assistants, participants in work-study programs, and other student workers.4.4
  4. Provide emergency first aid and summon medical assistance when necessary.4.3
  5. Make regular rounds to ensure that residents and areas are safe and secure.4.3
  6. Mediate interpersonal problems between residents.4.2
  7. Enforce rules and regulations to ensure the smooth and orderly operation of dormitory programs.4.1
  8. Determine the need for facility maintenance and repair, and notify appropriate personnel.4.1
  9. Collaborate with counselors to develop counseling programs that address the needs of individual students.4.0
  10. Develop program plans for individuals or assist in plan development.4.0
  11. Develop and coordinate educational programs for residents.4.0
  12. Provide requested information on students' progress and the development of case plans.3.9
Show the other 18
  1. Administer, coordinate, or recommend disciplinary and corrective actions.3.8
  2. Counsel students in the handling of issues such as family, financial, and educational problems.3.8
  3. Confer with medical personnel to better understand the backgrounds and needs of individual residents.3.8
  4. Answer telephones, and route calls or deliver messages.3.8
  5. Hold regular meetings with each assigned unit.3.7
  6. Compile information such as residents' daily activities and the quantities of supplies used to prepare required reports.3.7
  7. Chaperone group-sponsored trips and social functions.3.4
  8. Order supplies for facilities.3.3
  9. Oversee departmental budget.3.9
  10. Process contract cancellations for students who are unable to follow residence hall policies and procedures.3.7
  11. Supervise the activities of housekeeping personnel.3.7
  12. Supervise students' housekeeping work to ensure that it is done properly.3.7
  13. Accompany and supervise students during meals.3.7
  14. 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.3.5
  15. Assign rooms to students.3.5
  16. Provide transportation or escort for expeditions, such as shopping trips or visits to doctors or dentists.3.5
  17. Sort and distribute mail.3.1
  18. Inventory, pack, and remove items left behind by former residents.2.8

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Customer and Personal Service4.55.7
  • Administration and Management4.24.3Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Public Safety and Security4.13.5Level 4 looks like: Inspect a building site for safety violations
  • Education and Training4.04.7Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • English Language3.93.6Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Sociology and Anthropology3.73.1Level 4 looks like: Write an article about cultural differences
  • Administrative3.53.7Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Personnel and Human Resources3.53.7Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants for an administrative position
Show all 33
  • Therapy and Counseling3.53.5Level 4 looks like: Provide job counseling to the unemployed
  • Psychology3.24.7Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • Communications and Media3.13.0Level 4 looks like: Host a music radio show
  • Computers and Electronics3.13.5Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Law and Government3.02.3Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Medicine and Dentistry2.82.7
  • Telecommunications2.81.5Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Economics and Accounting2.51.8Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Transportation2.51.4Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Philosophy and Theology2.43.1Level 4 looks like: Understand another culture's religious practices
  • Food Production2.31.3Level 1 looks like: Grow herbs in the kitchen
  • Mathematics2.32.2Level 1 looks like: Add two numbers
  • Design2.01.3Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • Production and Processing2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Engineering and Technology1.81.3Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Foreign Language1.81.4Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Mechanical1.80.6Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Sales and Marketing1.81.4Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Fine Arts1.71.4Level 1 looks like: Attend a popular music concert
  • Geography1.71.9Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Biology1.60.5Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Building and Construction1.60.9Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Chemistry1.51.0Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • History and Archeology1.51.2Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Physics1.5—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Comprehension4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Problem Sensitivity4.03.6Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Speech Clarity3.83.4Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Speech Recognition3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Deductive Reasoning3.43.3Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Written Comprehension3.43.8Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Inductive Reasoning3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Decide what to wear based on the weather report
Show all 52
  • Near Vision3.13.1Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Written Expression3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Far Vision3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Information Ordering3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Selective Attention3.02.8Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Fluency of Ideas2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Originality2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Time Sharing2.92.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Category Flexibility2.82.9Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Flexibility of Closure2.62.4Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Perceptual Speed2.52.0Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Speed of Closure2.52.1Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Visualization2.52.1Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Auditory Attention2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.12.0Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Finger Dexterity2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Manual Dexterity2.01.0Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Memorization2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Multilimb Coordination2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Number Facility2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Add 2 and 7
  • Stamina2.01.3Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Static Strength2.01.3Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Trunk Strength2.02.1Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness1.91.0Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Depth Perception1.91.0Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Dynamic Strength1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Extent Flexibility1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Gross Body Coordination1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.91.0Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Reaction Time1.80.9
  • Response Orientation1.80.9
  • Spatial Orientation1.60.6
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.60.6
  • Control Precision1.40.4
  • Glare Sensitivity1.40.4
  • Night Vision1.40.5
  • Peripheral Vision1.40.5
  • Rate Control1.40.4Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Sound Localization1.40.5
  • Explosive Strength1.3—
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.3—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Assisting and Caring for Others4.85.1Level 4 looks like: Help a medical patient find in-home assistance or healthcare
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.45.3Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.44.7Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.24.2Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Getting Information4.14.4Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.14.2Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.04.6Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
Show all 41
  • Documenting/Recording Information3.93.4Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.93.2Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.84.2Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Performing Administrative Activities3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.72.6
  • Processing Information3.73.3Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.74.6Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.73.5Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Developing and Building Teams3.63.3Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Working with Computers3.63.3Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.53.9Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.52.9
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.53.0Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Training and Teaching Others3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.33.9Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Thinking Creatively3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.33.7Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.23.2Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.12.6
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.12.9
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.02.5Level 1 looks like: Estimate the size of household furniture to be shipped
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.93.3Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Handling and Moving Objects2.73.5Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.73.1Level 4 looks like: Interview candidates for a sales position and make hiring recommendations
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.62.1Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment2.22.3Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Controlling Machines and Processes1.91.5Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.81.2Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.70.6Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.71.1Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Contact With Others4.6
  • E-Mail4.6
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.3
  • Health and Safety of Other Workers4.2
  • Telephone Conversations4.2
  • Conflict Situations4.1
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.1
  • Freedom to Make Decisions3.9
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled3.8

Technology

11 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (1)

  • Microsoft Office softwarehot

Hot (5; 1 more marked hot above)

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (5)
  • Budgeting software
  • Email software
  • Survey software
  • Web browser software
  • Website development software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Social and Community Service Managers
  2. Rehabilitation Counselors
  3. First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers
  4. Child, Family, and School Social Workers
  5. Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
  6. Social and Human Service Assistants
  7. First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services
  8. Patient Representatives
  9. Recreation Workers
  10. First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.