Building the Confidence to Pivot With Purpose
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Hult alum Maria Susana Castellanos, Class of 2023, has built a career spanning education, humanitarian aid, and consulting in less than three years, and that flexibility was possible because of the transferable skills she gained at Hult. She reflects on how Hult’s hands-on learning environment helped her build the confidence to pivot with purpose.
With the launch of Hult’s new Bachelor’s in Psychology, Economics & Politics, students looking to build the skills, perspective, and flexibility to make an impact in a complex world now have a dedicated pathway to drive real change across business, policy, humanitarian work, and beyond.
Hult: Can you tell us about your career journey from graduating from Hult to your current role?
Maria: After graduating from Hult in 2023, I started with a student internship before moving into a full-time role supporting student career development in Boston. After my OPT, I stepped into a role coordinating assistance for refugees at the UN Refugee Agency, before shifting gears to consulting for Mastercard in Bogotá, Colombia.
H: Which parts of the Hult experience have had the biggest impact on your career?
M: The consulting projects I work on feel very similar to the final assignments I completed at Hult—structured problem-solving, stakeholder management, and presenting recommendations. The group work with international peers also helped me develop my communication, adaptability, and cross-cultural collaboration skills, which were just as valuable in my humanitarian role, where empathy and cultural awareness were essential. Hult equipped me with the transferable skills and critical thinking to work across very different industries.
“In less than three years, my career has spanned two continents and three industries.”
H: What do you enjoy most about your role, and what transferable skills make you well-suited to it?
M: What I enjoy most is that I’m constantly learning. Even within the same industry, every project is different, with new clients, new geographies, and new challenges. I work across Central America and the Caribbean, which adds another layer of diversity. I’m naturally curious, so I enjoy diving into unfamiliar topics and understanding how different payment solutions work. That curiosity, paired with adaptability and strong business thinking, helps me learn quickly and contribute meaningfully. It also helps me adjust to different teams and environments.
“Hult equipped me with the transferable skills and critical thinking to work across very different industries.”
H: What advice would you give to students who want to pivot their careers and make an impact across industries?
M: My biggest advice is: don’t be afraid to pivot. My career has moved across education, humanitarian aid, and consulting. That experience taught me that careers rarely follow a straight line. Stay open, stay curious, and proactively learn from people in industries that interest you.
“My biggest advice is: don’t be afraid to pivot.”
Ready to gain the tools to understand how the world works and the transferable skills to lead with purpose? Explore Hult’s Bachelor’s in Psychology, Economics & Politics.
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