Ananda Kautz (MM06)

Ananda, please talk about yourself, your educational background and your current job.

I’m Brazilian and always enjoyed travelling, discovering new cultures, habits and people. I went to Montreal in Canada to study Business Administration at Concordia University and came to France for an exchange program at ESSEC Business School. After acquiring my B.A. degree, I did internships in marketing in Paris during one-year while applying to the Master’s degree in Marketing at Paris Dauphine University.

Today I work at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Luxembourg, a consulting and audit firm, as a business analyst. I conduct market studies in different domains (financial services, health sector, public institutions…). It’s nice to be in Luxembourg because there are many foreigners living here and it is very easy to meet people.

What was important for you when you decided to do a Master’s degree ?

After my B.A., I wanted to specialise myself in the marketing field and a master’s degree was the best solution because it is more specific than the MBA (much shorter and less expensive too !) and is recognised worldwide.

The most important criteria for me when deciding to which master apply were :

— The recognition of the degree in France and abroad. I was planning to stay in France for a few years and I knew that the French job market is very competitive and that recruiters are very concerned about the reputation of the educational background of candidates. It was also crucial to have a degree strongly recognised abroad as I was probably going to work in a foreign country someday, either in Brazil or elsewhere. The Master 2 Marketing of Paris Dauphine was, and continues to be, ranked among the best in France and benefits from an international reputation.

— The program. I checked out on the internet what the different programs consisted on and I appreciated the fact that the Master 2 Marketing of Paris Dauphine included 2 practical internships, which are very valuable experiences to add on the résumé. I also checked out the courses offered and the profile of professors.

— The duration of the program. I was temped by applying to the master in marketing at “Science Po”, however this was a 2-year program, and I was already eager to start working ! The Master 2 Marketing of Paris Dauphine is a one-year full-time (very busy) program.

— The location. Being located in a capital city like Paris was a very enriching personal experience and facilitated my internship and job search.

— The cost of the program. I could not afford the tuition fees of the French “Business Schools”. Paris Dauphine University was one of the few universities offering a very well-known master’s degree in Marketing at a very fair cost.

— The language. I was looking for a master that would be partially thought in English, because I was more comfortable in writing in English at that time, and because I wanted to keep practicing orally. About 20% of the courses offered in the Master 2 Marketing of Paris Dauphine were in English or required English reading.

How did you find the information on the different masters to which you applied ?

First I looked for the ranking of best master’s degree in marketing in France. Once I had this list I informed myself on the criteria above for each university/ business school. I had already thought about Paris Dauphine University because it is widely known in Brazil. Also, when I was studying at ESSEC, a well-know French business school, I often heard people saying that they would like to apply to the Master 2 Marketing of Paris Dauphine University because it is well quoted within recruiters and not as expensive. I also heard some students there saying that it was almost impossible to get accepted in the Master 2 Marketing of Paris Dauphine and that the courses were quite hard !

When you graduated and was looking for a job, how recruiters perceived your profile ? Thinking back, what did you appreciate in the Master 2 Marketing of Paris Dauphine ?

I must say that even before finishing my master I had got a job offer in Paris, but I decided to go to Luxembourg and started with an internship which resulted in a job offer. The recruiters really appreciated my educational and international background. Although I have done my internships in B2C firms, I finally chose to work in a B2B consulting firm. We often think about becoming a Product Manager or Marketing Analyst in consumer-goods companies, but there are also very many other interesting jobs in marketing. When I think back, I realize that what I have learned at Dauphine I use in my day-to-day job life. I know how to analyse large amounts of data, structure my ideas and be synthetic, and always question and challenge myself.

I’m very grateful to having had the opportunity to be part of 2006’s promotion of the Master 2 Marketing at Paris Dauphine. Now it’s your turn to try your chance !!!