Why you should apply to be a CL!

I’ve been working for Residence Life and Education as a Community Leader for the past year and a half and I’ve recently been reflecting on my time working there and how many things it has taught me.

Currently, we are hiring for the 2021/2022 school year (applications are due Feb 1 at 4 p.m.) and I wanted to share why I think you should apply to become a CL so that you can experience this wonderful community as I have.

When I applied during my first year I honestly didn’t know what I was getting myself into but looking back I am so glad I did.

My all-time favourite part about this job is the community. The main part of this job is making a safe community with your residents.

It is so rewarding getting to know them and bringing them together as a little ResLife family. Running programs for them and seeing them interact with one another and grow as people over the course of the year with your help is so rewarding.

The community within the staff is also super strong. You work closely with the other CLs in your neighbourhood. You are working with them, studying with them, and living with them.

At times it can be hard to separate all of this but I love how coworkers become friends so quickly as we all share close-knit lives and memories. As long as you build boundaries to separate work and life you’re golden.

Some of my best friends are also my coworkers and it’s crazy to think about how I never would have met them if I didn’t apply for this job.

As I’m sure you can assume, when working in ResLife you get to meet people from all walks of life that can teach you so many things whether they are residents, student staff, or professional staff.

CLs also do A LOT of training which keeps us up to date on all of the situations we might encounter. Recently we did a gender diversity training which was super helpful in learning how to promote gender diversity on campus. 

ResLife is such a creative environment. I’m always making posters and videos and I get to run the programs that I want to run. So not only are the residents having fun, I get to enjoy my job as well. Check out my post on the life skills I’ve learned as a CL. 

We also schedule a lot of our own hours which is great! During busy school weeks, I don’t have to worry about work and during calmer weeks I can run my programs. It’s a great balance. 

Next, In-nights, where CLs go on rounds throughout their neighbourhood, is also a good time to spend time with residents and each other. You get to meet people outside of your community and spend time with your coworkers. In between rounds on in-nights CLs hang out, play games, or get homework done. (Also, you get to be a part of the CL hoodie squad.)

I think the first thing people think about when they talk about the CL role is the free room and board, and I must say it’s pretty sweet. Not having to deal with Victoria’s housing market is great and traditional CLs get a meal plan while cluster CLs get money for groceries. 

Lastly, being a CL will probably be one of the most rewarding jobs of your life. You will learn so many things, meet so many people and gain leadership experience. It also looks great on a resume. So if you’re unsure about whether you want to apply, do it. It just might be one of the best decisions of your university career.