Interview by Isabelle Zgorzelski

Elijah Maletz graduated from Baylor with the intent of becoming a diplomat, missionary, or NGO worker. The private sector was not on his radar. Yet, this all changed when Elijah was selected as an English Teaching Assistant in Mongolia through the Fulbright Program. For 11 months, he lived in Mongolia and taught English to students at a small private college in Ulaanbaatar. He developed the Mongolian International Business English Olympiad which included 70 students from 10 colleges and universities across the country to focus on the impact that effective business practices could have on their society and sustainability. Recognizing that he enjoyed teaching business strategies and with the support from his mentors to pursue this path, he realized that this was the direction he wanted his career to develop forward in.

After his experience in Mongolia, Elijah pursued work in the private sector in Boston. While he had a fresh excitement for the role of businesses in creating a positive impact in the world, he had no relevant experience prior as an undergraduate student. Yet, Elijah did not let this hinder him from pursuing his desire to work in the private sector. For his first year, he worked in short-term roles in marketing and hospital administration while he began to build his network, resume writing skills, and gain competence in industry norms.

A breakthrough opportunity came at a church picnic through a new member, Elzan, an employee of State Street Bank. Elzan offered an in-depth review of his resume, coached him on interviewing, and shared his resume with her manager. While Elijah did not receive a position on Elzan’s team, her guidance allowed him to eventually join State Street Bank, where he worked in various roles to further the growth strategy of the company. During Elijah’s time at State Street Bank, he spent around 8 months in China to support an international team in operational and implementation strategy and consulting. From his time at State Street Bank, Elijah was able to build up the skills and qualification necessary for his current position at McKinsey & Company where he is an Associate management consultant.

Recently, Elijah furthered his knowledge and expertise in business by earning his MBA from Yale’s School of Management. He chose Yale to be around students with other unique stories. The diversity of backgrounds, careers, and interests represented in this program allowed Elijah to see different perspectives in his class and on projects. He says it is just as important to learn in the classroom as it is from those around you taking the same courses. This is something he realized was important in his time as a student at Baylor and in his time abroad.

In his many jobs and experiences abroad, Elijah is always looking for new opportunities to learn new things. He encourages current prospective students to jump into the unknown to earn from both successes and failures. He acknowledged that it takes time to find out what you really want to do, but there will be moments along the way that will point you in the right direction. You do not need to know your forever job by the time you graduate but rather look for opportunities that align with what you enjoy doing. He also encourages students, even if they are focused on public sector or non-profit work, to try out a private sector internship –it could be beneficial in ways you may never have even known before.

For more information about the Fulbright Award Program and how you could pursue opportunities in abroad, check out information the information linked above https://engagedlearning.web.baylor.edu/fellowships-awards/now-youre-considering/fulbright-awards/fulbright-application-process-baylor-and

For information about Baylor’s Consulting Club, and how to prepare for opportunities in the private sector, email BaylorConsultingGroupExec@gmail.com and get involved.