Moore School Master of Human Resources alumnus Jason Koshy (’14 MHR) said the MHR program helped him understand and influence data “to drive tangible decision-making,” which has served him well in his roles at two large companies.
Koshy came to the Moore School after obtaining his Master’s in Intercultural Studies at Columbia International University. He said he wanted to build upon the skills that he had obtained while at CIU and learn more about the human resources side of business.
“I chose the Moore School MHR program primarily because I thought it could optimize my experiences and skill-set,” Koshy said. “I had attained a Master’s in Intercultural Studies previously and had a few years of business experience. This program perfectly married the two worlds.”
While researching different Master of Human Resources programs, Koshy said that the education quality and placement rates are what made the Moore School stand out from the rest.
“I joined the MHR program because of the strength of faculty, clear balance between theory and practice and differentiated placement rates,” he said. “These are all truly distinct features of the MHR program.”
After graduation, Koshy was immediately hired in the human resources field. He started working at ExxonMobil and then moved over to Johnson & Johnson in 2016. In his current role at Johnson & Johnson, Koshy works as human resources leader for Janssen R&D in quantitative sciences and strategic project management.
“I have the privilege of being an HR partner with Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical sector, closely partnering with executive leadership to define and drive talent strategy, shepherd the organization through change, and ultimately, set the organization up for future success,” he said.
Koshy said that the MHR program thoroughly prepared him for his position at Johnson & Johnson. He said he uses the skills and knowledge that he learned through the program on a daily basis.
“Day to day I’m able to enter situations with no clear solution and shape decisions; I am responsible to connect people together in a way to inspire confidence that we are doing what is right for our patients, employees, community and stakeholders,” Koshy said. “I’m also uniquely equipped to understand and use data beyond descriptive means – to drive tangible decision-making. The MHR program, through both formal coursework and implicit learning, effectively equipped me to do this.”
Koshy said that his time in the Master of Human Resources program was a great accelerator of growth for him both professionally and personally. He experienced what it was like to be a first-time parent as his daughter was born while he was in the program. Koshy also learned where his strengths lay and the opportunities that awaited him as a professional.
“There are quite a few skills I gained from the MHR program, certainly hard skills and knowledge-based skills such as financial and business acumen. However, I think the main growth area was learning to be OK with the uncomfortable,” he said. “The program is structured to push you, day by day, to be a better version of yourself in areas of communication, leadership, negotiation and influencing. If you are willing to try, the program will help you grow and succeed.”
-Claire McGrath