CATS Alumni Feature – Will Barrett; By Will Barrett

Will Barrett

My name is Will Barrett. I am 26 years old, from Waukegan, Ill., and I had the pleasure and honor of working for the Center for Academic Technology and Support from 2012-2014. I received both my Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies – Communication Theory Practice and my Master of Sciences – Training & Development from Eastern Illinois University.

I began working at CATS as a student worker doing transcription for various CATS multimedia projects as well as numerous WEIU productions. I eventually earned a graduate assistant position for the Campus-Wide Media Events section of the department. It was my responsibility to document and record a wide array of events that would take place on campus. Additionally, I was responsible for editing, publishing and uploading these videos to various social media sites such as YouTube and Facebook, along with the Eastern Illinois University website.

Since graduating in May 2014, I have relocated to Houston, Texas where I am currently working as an Executive Team Leader of Human Resources in the Greater Houston metropolitan area for the Target Corporation. As a Human Resources Manager some of my core roles are to control and monitor staffing needs, screen and conduct applicant interviews, manage employee payroll and benefits, and ensure that Target is in compliance with various state and federal labor laws.

The position I held at CATS adequately prepared me for my role as a young professional and gave me the necessary tools to be successful in starting my career. The responsibilities I had while working for CATS, such as conducting and leading meetings with faculty members as well as my colleagues, interviewing interested applicants, managing multiple student workers, and completing projects to meet specific deadlines are no different than what I am currently doing now professionally. I also gained a wealth of knowledge from Pete Grant, my supervisor and mentor, who helped to mold me and impart important knowledge and advice that has helped me greatly to make that transition to my current position.

My advice for any current or prospective graduate assistant and/or student is to take full advantage of the opportunities and resources around you. Envision where you want to be months from now, and make the necessary moves to ensure that they happen. Get in contact with individuals that are currently in positions you desire to be in, and take notes on how they obtained their roles. Do not fall in the mindset that after graduation you will enter the so-called “real world”. The world that you are currently in is very much as real as life after college, as long as you prepare yourself and approach it as such. Lastly, I encourage you to set short term and long-term goals for yourself and keep track of your progress. This will help your transition from student to professional an even more enjoyable experience.