UNM's Resident Advisors are charged with keeping students who live in the dorms in order and improving the quality of life on campus.
RAs spend about 20 hours per week managing 40 to 100 students, according to the Resident Life Web site. They are also required to attend weekly staff meetings, take no classes on Thursday evenings and take on no other jobs.
In return, RAs are paid $2,600 per year and get free room and board in the dorm where they work.
Robby Ortiz is a second-year RA and said he enjoys the position because it gives him experience for future jobs.
He said he has practice with planning events, conflict resolution and enforcing policies.
"Besides the benefits of free housing and meals and things like that, the main thing is that it's a really good experience, work experience that you can't compare anything to," he said.
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RA Samantha Doyle, a junior, said the job can be the first step in many career fields.
"The job is amazing - basically you get paid for socializing and making friends and being available for people and counseling," she said.
Ortiz said there are parts of being an RA that are challenging, such as dealing with policy violations.
RAs go through a training program that teaches them how to resolve conflicts, Doyle said. She said they work to adapt their style to each resident.
"I try to keep an attitude of 'I respect you, so you should respect me,'" she said. "'And I'm not your mom, so I'm not necessarily disappointed, but this is my job so I have to enforce these policies.'"
Ortiz said he tries to be straightforward with residents who break the rules.
"When I have to deal with a policy violation, I'm always straight up and very honest with people," he said.
RAs have to be consistent in their behavior even when they're not working, Ortiz said.
"People can spot if you're just fronting for your job," he said.
Ortiz said designing and putting on educational and recreational programs for residents is useful work experience and a good way to connect with students in the dorms.
"Living on campus with that many people is a blast," Ortiz said. "You get to do some great programs. You have a lot of funding and freedom to put on pretty much any program that you want."
Doyle said getting residents involved can be difficult but that most often dorm-dwellers will get to know their RA.
"My main priority for being an RA is when I'm in my room to have my door open as much as possible," she said. "Obviously, you have social needs of your own. You need alone time. You need your door closed occasionally."
Student Mireya Vasquez said she doesn't know her RA very well but that the benefits of the job are appealing to students.
Vasquez said RAs are normally pleasant to deal with and that they make an effort to get to know students.
"I haven't ever really heard of a bad RA. Either they are very involved trying to get the kids to do something or they just do what they do to get their jobs done," she said.
