Pardee School Young Alumni Feature: Aseem Kulkarni
The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University is proud to feature the various members of our graduate student body and alumni community as they work to advance human progress and become the global leaders of the future. Through one of our six MA programs with eight functional specializations, two dual-degree programs, one regional degree, and four graduate certificates, these individuals have explored a broad-based curriculum that breaks down disciplinary boundaries and enables them to build a holistic understanding of global affairs.
For this series of graduate and young alumni features, the Pardee School spoke with various members of our community regarding their professional experience, how the Pardee School helped them reach their career goals, and what advice they have for current students. If you or someone you know would be a good candidate for a Pardee School graduate feature, contact Graduate Student Services.
For this young alumni feature, we spoke with Aseem Kulkarni (Pardee/Questrom IR MA/MBA ’20).
Degree & Specialization: MBA/MA in International Affairs
Hometown: Houston, TX
Work Experience: Digital Sales and Marketing at Bloomsbury Publishing and AMACOM Books Content Marketing at Little Black Book Delhi; Programs and Finance at the Unitarian Universalist Association International Office; Currently at IBM Human Resources
What is your current job and what led you to this position? What do you like about it?
“I currently am working as a Compensation Consultant for IBM in their HR department…While working for a large multinational corporation like IBM, I have really enjoyed how the work I am doing fuses together my interest in global policy as it relates to technology and labor/employee relations as well as my interests in business development and operations.”
How has Pardee helped in shaping or attaining your professional goals? And/or, what advice would you give current students at Pardee to succeed?
“The courses I took at Pardee as well as some of the alumni and professional networking opportunities have helped to expand my knowledge of how the private sector can affect change as it relates to international relations and policy…The electives I have taken that required deeper dives into macroeconomic policy have also been extremely beneficial as I work in compensation and benefits at IBM across different countries. As far as advice, I would say to develop a career plan and trajectory as soon as possible, that way they[you] can network and develop their[your] job prospects and other opportunities before graduation. Your professors are also great [re]sources…Lastly, developing some technical skills will be key, in addition to skills such as writing and communication. Use the time you have to learn advanced excel, python, etc. and find ways to apply it to your work at Pardee. Not only will this help on your job interviews and resume, but when you start working it can be difficult to find the time to take on learning these new skills.”