Great stuff doesn’t just happen by chance. It’s the result of a great team. Here at Making Sense, we strive to build strong relationships and in this way, our Human Resources (HR) department plays a starring role. We want to share with you the story behind Paula Cascu, our Human Resources Manager.

We can describe Paula as a “human-centered” person who has an amazing talent for connecting with others.  She is always looking for growth opportunities and continually works to create environments where others can show their real potential. We invite you to get to know her.

Here’s an interview that we did for you and to give you the chance to know more about her.

The Beginnings

I never thought that I would spend my life working in the Human Resources field. I come from a family where science is the way to explain everything that happens and I think this is why I chose to study Psychology after graduating from high school. Plus, I liked psychoanalytic theory and I was curious about how it could be applied working in clinical Psychology. I wanted to help others through this kind of therapy. 

Once I got my bachelor’s degree, I got a master’s degree in psychoanalysis. I remember that my first job was working with young people who were suffering from terminal illnesses but after some time I realized that I couldn’t find a way to apply what I’ve learned because of my lack of experience, and that made me feel uncomfortable.

When did you first start leaning toward HR?

My family decided to move to BsAs. Once there, a friend asked me if I’d like to join her on a project she was leading — it was about hiring talent. I thought, why not?  Psychology gives us many tools that we can apply in different ways and selecting the correct person for a job is one of them. 

I was immediately in love with the profession. I had found a place where I felt truly comfortable. The most exciting thing was that I could see the direct impact of the actions we had planned. In HR you can plan actions in a different way than you can in Clinical Psychology.

After working for a while on my friend’s project, I had the chance to lead my own. This was my first time leading an HR project and both experiences led me to realize that I had found in HR what I never found in Clinical Psychology.

How did you link Psychology with HR?

My first role working in HR was as a recruiter. When you are hiring people to fill a position, you must ensure that you are selecting the correct candidate and that’s where my background in Psychology was key. It helped me to detect, in each applicant, their behaviors, competencies and other characteristics and then make decisions about whether those traits would match the organization’s culture.

How did your career progress after your first job?

Once immersed in the HR field, I took a course and met a man who was working as a Director in Despegar.com. He asked me if I’d like to join the company to work on a new project. So it was a big deal and an exciting challenge. I was in charge of the HR Team in a new business unit. There I had the chance to work with teams across Latin America. I had to build a team from scratch, which meant I had to go beyond hiring issues.  

There, I had some great moments that I still remember. I was leading a team with people from different countries and cultures and it really taught me a lot about the field.

After my experience at Despegar.com, my first child was born.  As you can imagine, my life was turned around 180°. We decided to move to Mar del Plata, in the pursuit of a good work-life balance. In my humble opinion, it’s something that all of us must achieve. 

Once in Mar del Plata, I joined Pepsico, where I got my first experience working in this kind of industry. However, I couldn’t find a place where I could experience what I like best about working in HR. 

Then you joined Making Sense…What motivated you to join us?

First, the chance of going back to work in one of the industries I love the most, software. I have never found any other place that offers the kind of daily challenges that I face in the software industry. Today, I feel I’ve found the best place to work: a place to grow and show my potential. A place where all of us are committed to our jobs and that makes me feel proud.

How would you describe Making Sense?

As a big family. A team working together and also side by side with founders and leaders. A company where people are really measured by their potential. A place where failure is a good word, the initial step toward success, where passion drives everything that we do. A hands-on environment. All of these things are what I find at Making Sense.

But if you ask me what I enjoy the most, without a doubt I’d tell you that it’s the predisposition toward teamwork that we have around here. Everyone here is willing to help you and to share what they know and in that way, we’re always working toward excellence.

About your profession… What’s your favorite thing?

Seeing how people can grow and achieve their goals and wishes at work. Helping to foster an environment where people are what really matters.

To close…What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I don’t like to talk about weaknesses. Instead, I’d prefer to talk about points where improvement is possible — points that we should work on to be better people and professionals. In my case, one of these could be anxiety. I’m a very anxious person. And as a strength, I’d say it’s my passion. Passion drives my whole life.

Do you have any advice?

Of course! Be yourself, be passionate about what you do, think out of the box, have fun, and bring with you the best every day.

We hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did. If you want to know more about Paula, feel free to connect with her on Linkedin.

If you want to know more about our team members, take a look at this interview:  Meet Valentín: Expert in Designing Smart Solutions.