Master’s in Management: Anne-Sophie Dobbelaar, Imperial College

Student Name: Anne-Sophie Dobbelaar

Graduate Business School: Imperial College Business School

Describe Yourself In 15 Words: I am French and Dutch and have worked in e-commerce, fashion, and luxury. I am energetic and curious! 

Master’s Graduation Class: 2020.

Undergraduate School and Major: Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus University), International Business Administration.

Current Employer and Job Title: Amazon, Brand Specialist (Media and Entertainment team).

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Successfully looking after and growing some of Amazon’s most strategic vendors across Europe. I’ve learned so much in such a short amount of time. I’ve also expanded my interests to the world of video games! 

Describe your biggest accomplishment as a graduate student: I am happy that I took advantage of the time I had as a graduate student; I always said yes to doing new things and I attended events, joined clubs, met a lot of people, and focused on all the modules that we had whilst starting a new life in London.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I chose Imperial because of its close ties with innovation, technology, and its incredible reputation in those fields. I thought it would be interesting to study at a business school that was historically not known for business because I imagined the methods, materials and professors would be very different to what I had experienced in the past. Studying in London also made sense given that I wanted to find a job there after graduation.

What led you to choose a Master’s in Management over an MBA? Having taken a one-year break after my undergraduate degree to work, I wanted to start studying again before settling into my professional life. 

What has been your favorite course and how has it helped you in your career? My favourite course was the Innovation and Technology Strategy module taught by Professor Paola Criscuolo. The class was different from other classes: It was extremely interactive, the case studies were always relevant and new, we learned about some very technical topics and Paola would always push us to debate fiercely with each other.

What role did your school play in helping you to land your first job out of the program? The school definitely helped me land my first job right out of the program by a) pushing me to apply to jobs early on and in a targeted manner b) helping me prepare for interviews by providing tailored materials c) continually welcoming speakers from some of the biggest and best companies in the world. This was inspiring and actually helpful because we could connect with these people directly. 

Also, when my summer internship fell through because of the pandemic, the Career Center reached out to me to prepare a plan for my future. They helped me get in touch with some recruiters at companies of interest. They were very proactive and dedicated. 

How did your classmates enhance the value of your business school experience Tremendously! From day one, I clicked with some of my classmates and we stayed very close, despite many of us travelling home during covid-19. Thanks to them, I know that I will always feel at home in London. 

Who was your favorite faculty member and how did this person enrich your learning? Professor Tommaso Valletti was an incredibly inspiring professor. In addition to teaching us a lot about economics, he showcased the importance of having presence and charisma. He does things differently and I believe that makes one remember his lessons much more effectively. 

What is your best advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s graduate Master’s program? Have a great story prepared and make sure that attending Imperial College Business School adds value to that story. In your cover letter, don’t be afraid to show that you don’t necessarily want to pursue a traditional career, and always convey enthusiasm and ambition. 

What was your best memory from your Master’s program? Spending 10 days in Brazil with my cohort for a consulting project. This was an incredible experience and made us all very close. We were so lucky to have come back just a few days before the first lockdown hit the UK.

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