For many professionals, one of the biggest reasons to pursue an MBA is the opportunity to change direction. But making a major career pivot can be exciting and intimidating at the same time.

In an episode of The Career Boosters: An MBA Podcast, Alberta School of Business (Canada) alumna Marina Barbu (’21) shares how she moved from hospitality management into health innovation and pharmaceuticals and what she learned along the way.

Her journey shows that a successful career change does not always require a perfectly mapped-out plan. Instead, it can begin with understanding what matters to you, staying open to opportunities, and building relationships.

Using an MBA to make a career pivot


Before her MBA, Marina had built her career in hospitality, including managing teams in large hotels. She enjoyed the industry, but eventually began thinking about a different path.

The MBA became an important bridge.

“I’m convinced MBA played a crucial role into facilitating that career pivot and preparing me.”

The change accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the hospitality industry was hit particularly hard and Marina was laid off. Faced with both professional and personal challenges, she began asking herself deeper questions about what she wanted from her career.

Rather than immediately choosing a new job title or industry, Marina looked at the values behind the decisions she had made throughout her life. Three themes stood out: impact, adventure, and curiosity.

Impact was especially important. Her hospitality career had allowed her to create memorable experiences for guests and develop future leaders on her teams. Today, working in innovation, that desire to contribute remains central.

“Now it’s like impact on steroids… you get to work with these amazing entrepreneurs that really literally want to change the world, and you’re part of that puzzle.”

Stay active, curious, and open to opportunity


Marina’s pivot was not a straight line. After graduating in 2021 in a difficult job market, she focused on staying involved rather than waiting for the perfect opportunity.

She volunteered, participated in an MBA consulting project with a health-tech startup, and discovered that she enjoyed the innovation space. That experience eventually helped lead her toward an opportunity at a health innovation hub.

Her advice for others facing a difficult job market is to not let negative headlines close your mind to possibilities.

“There are always opportunities.”

Marina also encourages professionals to become comfortable with not knowing exactly where their careers will lead. Earlier in her career, she felt she needed to control every step. Today, she sees career development differently: focus on learning from the opportunity in front of you, then remain open to what may come next.

Build relationships, not just a network


One thread connects every stage of Marina’s journey: people.

During her MBA, networking helped her develop relationships with professors, classmates, alumni, and professionals from different industries. Those relationships later became valuable during her career transition.

But her approach to networking has also evolved. What once felt like an activity where she needed to impress people is now driven by curiosity.

“We’re humans. We connect through emotions, we connect through experiences, we connect through stories.”

That mindset offers a useful lesson for MBA students and professionals considering a pivot. Networking is not simply about finding someone who can get you a job. It is about taking an interest in people, sharing who you are, and building relationships before you know where they might lead.

For Marina, the combination of self-reflection, curiosity, action, and relationships turned a significant career pivot into a new path. Her experience is a reminder that even a large career change is possible when you understand what drives you and give yourself permission to explore where it might take you.