Recruiter for Q Connects
By Lauren Keller, English Intern
Anthony Orlando Barrios was born and raised in downtown Los Angeles. He lived in the city his entire life and when it came time to transfer from his community college to a university, he knew he needed a change of scenery. That change was provided by California State University Channel Islands, which drew Anthony in after his first visit with its peaceful and picturesque campus. Although it was his first time living in a more rural area, he says he appreciated the less frenetic atmosphere because it allowed him “to focus on the bigger picture” while still being within driving distance of his friends and family in the city.
After transferring to Channel Islands, Anthony’s love of reading and writing led him down the path of pursuing a degree in English. He says that growing up, he always enjoyed writing essays in school because it allowed him to share his thoughts and make arguments. He also loved reading because it allowed him to discover all kinds of new subject matter. When asked what his favorite course that he took while at Channel Islands was, he said that the class he enjoyed most was ENGL 410: Shakespeare’s Plays, a class that examines the works of William Shakespeare. Anthony found this class the most memorable because it was different from the material that he normally read, and it allowed him to expand his taste in literature. He says that literature has the ability to make readers more open-minded by introducing new and intriguing topics that they did not even know existed.
Anthony graduated from Channel Islands with a Bachelor of Arts in English in May of 2019 and was hired at a company called Q Connects later that year. Q Connects is an IT and digital staffing firm that was founded within the last decade. The company specializes in helping companies of all sizes within the tech industry, such as government contractors and cyber security firms, connect with top talent. Anthony was first hired at Q Connects as an office manager, but after the start of COVID-19, he began working as a recruiter. Working as a recruiter, Anthony is tasked with finding talented candidates that meet certain employment requirements and must try to recruit them for specific positions that best suit their skills and characteristics. Over the last year, Anthony has also been responsible for growing the company’s remote team in Columbia. He credits his El Salvadorian and Guatemalan background for allowing him to easily connect with recruits from outside of the United States. Anthony’s favorite part of his job is engaging with people, particularly those who feel lost or misguided. He says that after high school, he felt confused because he did not know what he wanted to do with his life. Now, he has the pleasure of helping others who are confused find careers that suit them and their talents.
One of the biggest ways that studying English has helped Anthony in his career as a recruiter is by making him more analytical. He believes that as a recruiter, it is necessary to be able to analyze and process information easily and quickly, as much of the job is spent looking through resumes. He likens the process of analyzing resumes to finding textual evidence for an English paper, which both involve reading through information to find important key details. He also finds that studying English can greatly improve one’s communication skills, which is essential when speaking with candidates. Since the majority of his job is spent reading resumes and meeting with potential recruits, he says that being able to analyze information and communicate clearly are indispensable skills. Anthony believes that beyond being good at reading and writing, English majors are critical thinkers and strong communicators and that “for an English major to succeed in the job market, they have to know how to market these skillsets.”
When asked what advice he has for current and prospective Channel Islands English majors, Anthony said that many industries need the skills that are obtained through an English degree, so he encourages students to think outside the box when looking for jobs. He feels that taking advantage of the many different English classes that Channel Islands has to offer can help students discover the different areas in which their skills can be applied. Anthony says that taking a variety of different courses and looking into unexplored genres can expand students’ mindsets and expose them to new topics and interests that they never knew existed.