Name: Jacques Alazraki
Age: 23
High School: Escuela Integral Hebreo Uruguaya
Degree Program: Bachelor of Arts in Economics
Year of graduation: 2007
Work Experience: Management Control and Strategic Planning at Thesis
Interview published in September 2007.
In 2002, he began pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Administration, and the following year he began pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Economics concurrently. In 2006, he completed an internship at Thesis Uruguay and was hired upon its completion. In 2007, he graduated with both degrees, receiving an award for academic excellence in the Bachelor’s program in Management and Administration.
By the time he finished high school, Jacques knew exactly what he wanted to study. "Ever since I was a kid, I've always loved numbers and business." Through the family business, he was able to get a taste of the business world. At 18, he decided to pursue a bachelor's degree in Business Management and Administration, as his dream had always been to start his own company.
After attending the information sessions, Jacques decided to study at ORT University. He highlighted “the faculty’s excellent reputation, the university’s facilities, and its efficiency. I wanted to graduate on schedule.” He also noted that “the curricula are constantly updated, as are the equipment and the available library resources.”
In 2002, while in his first year of the Bachelor’s degree in Management, Jacques began looking for a job. “That’s when the financial crisis hit, so I decided to study Economics, which I also liked and believed would complement my Management degree. It was another way of looking at the world." He wanted to specialize in finance. "I felt it would better prepare me for the future; it was a way to position myself more effectively."
"In March 2003, I began pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Economics alongside my degree in Management, taking one program in the morning and the other in the evening." The university's infrastructure allowed him to study between classes since he had access to the materials he needed. He highlighted the willingness of the professors, who were always available in person or via email to answer questions or exchange ideas.
"Throughout the program, ORT provides you with a solid business perspective on how to conduct in-depth analyses of different types of businesses and markets. The required courses and the university’s methodology are helpful; setting deadlines, having to make decisions, and facing different situations prepare you for the moment when you’ll need to practice your profession."
"I knew that if I wanted a good job, I had to commit to it full time, so I decided to pursue both degrees simultaneously and finish them at the same time." In 2006, she completed the mandatory internship for both degree programs, successfully combining the two professions in practice. "I joined Thesis Uruguay, a company that manages investment funds, which had been contracted by the Central Bank of Uruguay (BCU) to recover assets from the portfolios of banks that went bankrupt during the 2002 crisis. The internship lasted four months; then they offered me a permanent contract."
Jacques currently works at Thesis Uruguay in the area of management control and strategic planning, and believes that the knowledge he gained from both degree programs is highly relevant to his work.