Business law marketing

Careers and Colleges, Jan-Feb, 2003

SALARY: The median annual salary for paralegals is $32,760.

ON THE JOB: Kietlinski's day-to-day activities vary, depending on the needs of the firm. He performs administrative tasks such as photocopying, booking lunch reservations, and billing clients. In addition, he meets with opposing counsel, prepares substantive memos, and provides valuable research.

REWARDS: Being a paralegal offers great experience for those interested in a legal career. "At my firm, after three or four months, paralegals do the same work as most first-year associates," says Kietlinski.

CHALLENGE: "Lots of responsibility coupled with high expectations. Your boss may sometimes forget that you do not have the same amount of legal training as a lawyer."

MORE INFO: National Federation of Paralegal Associations, www.paralegals.org

Seth Endo

HR MANAGER

Kristi Breen

AGE: 34

LOCATION: Orlando, FL

JOB: Manages the college intern recruitment program for Walt Disney World

EDUCATION: A bachelor's degree is usually expected for managerial level positions. A major in a business-related field, especially human resources, is helpful. Breen has a BA in international affairs from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

SALARY: The median salary is $49,010.

ON THE JOB: Breen oversees the marketing, promotion, and recruitment efforts made by Walt Disney World on more than 400 college campuses nationwide to attract student and graduate interns.

STARTING OUT: Breen liked the human resources field when she graduated college because of the numerous opportunities it offered. "I found it amazing that I could work in a career in which I traveled around the country and possibly the world offering life-changing experiences to students," she says.

REWARDS: "The opportunity to see students grow, both personally and professionally, from employment at Disney. I actively recruited on campuses before becoming a manager, and sometimes you can get close to the students personally."

CHALLENGES: "Job markets change, and the recruitment process always has to be revamped to keep up. Today students are technologically savvy--they're used to Internet sites and interactive media. They don't respond so well to conventional methods of recruitment, like posters or fliers."

MORE INFO: Society of Human Resource Management, www.shrm.org

David Schaffer

ACCOUNTANT

AGE: 29

Yeronica Locker

LOCATION: Indianapolis, IN

JOB: Certified public accountant (CPA) for Eli Lilly & Company. Youngest member of the Indiana CPA Society Board of Directors.

EDUCATION: Locker has a bachelor of science in accounting from Butler University in Indianapolis. In Indiana, accountants must have at least three years of work experience before earning the CPA designation.

SALARY: Accountants earn approximately $38,618 per year. Senior accountants may earn six figures.

ON THE JOB: "At Eli Lilly, our positions are rotated every few years," she says. Although some people may perceive accounting careers as a dry exercise in bean-counting, the opposite is true. "In my current assignment, I actually do little number crunching," Locker says. "I'm part of a new, worldwide computer system integration and I'm involved in organizational management, working with the technical staff. There's a lot of analysis and projecting." Many CEOs and successful business people have accounting backgrounds. And Locker certainly doesn't fit the stereotype of the stuffy accountant. She's an avid salsa dancer who says she often feels like Clark Kent: "When I dance, my hair comes down, glasses get tossed, and the corporate suit comes off. If keeps me sane."