Julia Schnatz
Research Analyst at the Brattle Group
Please tell us about your career since leaving ODID
After graduation from ODID I joined the OECD as a Carlo-Schmid Research Fellow and after six months got converted into a Junior Policy Analyst role at the Development Cooperation Directorate. In this policy-focused role I worked on issues of poverty and intersecting inequalities and how development cooperation can effectively combat both. I stayed in this role for 2.5 years, published 5 official reports but ultimately, was looking for a more quantitatively challenging role and decided to leave the policy space. I now work in the private sector for an economic consulting firm.
‘The practical skills the MSc has taught us are relevant in the labour market and provide us with a competitive edge. The rigor we were subject to led to us being precise workers. Lastly, but most importantly, we learned how to write’.
‘The practical skills the MSc has taught us are relevant in the labour market and provide us with a competitive edge. The rigor we were subject to led to us being precise workers. Lastly, but most importantly, we learned how to write’.
Please tell us about your current job
I am a research analyst at an economic consulting firm called The Brattle Group based in Sydney. The company works in international arbitration, litigation and class-action legal procedures. The work encompasses a broad spectrum of economics and allows me to develop my quantitative skillset further, including extensive coding practice. It is a hands-on job that requires active problem-solving to address the diverse needs of our clients, which are mostly law firms but can also include public entities, regulators, etc. We provide economic expertise via reports and the role that I am currently in supports the economic research that goes into these reports. On a day-to-day basis this job requires a lot of number crunching but also being a concise and precise writer. I enjoy that it is project-based work, thus I get to experience a variety of different clients, topics and economic concepts and thus develop a fairly broad understanding of how economics can be applied to problems in the real world.
So, as a research analyst, I'm all about mixing analytical skills with practical exploration. Together with my team, we decode the intricate language of economics, weaving together solutions that make a tangible impact.
Why did you choose ODID and your course?
I chose ODID because of its unique and close-knit community and I chose the MSc because it provided me with a perfect combination of quantitative and qualitative content.
How has your education at Oxford benefitted you in your career?
We learned a lot. We learned what is relevant. We felt like we were pushing the research frontier. We learned how to discuss. Everybody was passionate about something and exchanges were always fruitful. The practical skills the MSc has taught us are relevant in the labour market and provide us with a competitive edge. The rigor we were subject to led to us being precise workers. Lastly, but most importantly, we learned how to write. And that goes a long way in any career.
What did you particularly value about ODID?
The people, the kindness, the (sometimes political) discussions. To be able to observe what happens when students who know their field and are passionate come together and exchange - each with their own conviction but united in the belief that it is up to us to change the world. It's a very special place.
What other activities were you involved with at Oxford?
College work, dinners, balls, Oxford Union debates and the Oxford Surf club.
What advice would you give to current students?
Do not stress, follow your heart and interests, choose a career that you think you will like, but if you don't, don't be afraid to pursue something different until you find your place.