Business, marketing, and law

Careers and Colleges, Jan-Feb, 2005

Although our economy has been sluggish in recent years, those entering careers in law and business are finding a healthy number of opportunities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of lawyers in the U.S. recently topped 1 million, and record numbers are taking the LSAT. "Law firms are gearing up for growth, particularly within high-demand specialties [such as intellectual property and health care]," says Sheron Hindley-Smith, executive director of Robert Half Legal.

On-campus recruitment shows no signs of slowing down at many law and business schools. "We've been bracing for adjustments from recruiters but there haven't been any yet," says Roger Stegman, dean of student affairs at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. TopMBA.com reports that the MBA recruitment cycle has bottomed and an upswing has started.

IT TAKES SCHOOLIN'

A JD (juris doctor or law degree) or MBA (master's in business administration) requires two or three years of professional school beyond the four years of undergrad study. Although you can major in anything as an undergraduate, many future lawyers study English or philosophy, and many pre-MBA students take business, math, and marketing courses.

Keep in mind that an advanced degree can set you back more than $200,000 in tuition and lost income from not working those years you're in school. However, your future income can pay off big. Many new B-school (short for business school) grads have seen their starting salaries rocket by 80 percent beyond their pre-MBA wages.

Career experts all agree: The most important thing you can bring to business and law are good communication skills. "You also need to be detail-oriented, and have good research and analytical skills," says Susan Giundi, director of career services at the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor.

Depending on their area of expertise, liberal arts grads do well in business. English majors tend to be good at presentations and writing persuasively, and may go into marketing and advertising. Math majors are recruited for banking, and history majors make excellent researchers. Even philosophy majors, who are taught to work through arguments, have been finding jobs with corporations.

With just a two-year associate's degree, you can work as a computer network administrator, office administrator, paralegal, court stenographer, or a legal assistant.

WHERE THE JOBS ARE

Consulting firms top the list of employers seeking new college graduates, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). "Many organizations are now outsourcing projects instead of doing them in-house," says Camille Luckenbaugh, spokesperson for NACE. "That's a reflection of how the work world has changed."

Another hot business field is hospitality management. "Our college seniors are getting five to ten job offers each," says Sarah Parks, director of the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Pennsylvania State University in University Park.

--Don Rauf

SPORTS AGENT

JEANNE MCNULTY-KING

AGE: 37

LOCATION: Missoula, MT

JOB: President and CEO of 2 X Inc., a full service sports agency representing women athletes.

EDUCATION: Business, marketing, and legal training may be helpful McNulty-King graduated from the University of Montana with a bachelor's degree in zoology. More importantly, she played professional basketball and learned firsthand about players' needs and the duties of a good sports agent.

SALARY: Sports agents generally work on a commission basis. The commission varies from 4 to 10 percent of an athlete's contract. For endorsements, the commission may be as high as 33 percent.

ON THE JOB: A sports agent is like an athlete's business partner. For the athletes she represents, McNulty-King negotiates contracts (including salaries) and deals for product endorsements. When she's not in her office phoning her athletes, she's traveling to scout new athletes, watch the players she already represents, and maintain in-person relationships with college and professional coaches.

REWARDS: As a former player, McNulty-King enjoys helping clients like the WNBA's Betty Lennox. "I can remember what I needed as a player and supply that to my players," she says. "I also think it's important to just be there for the players to provide friendship and support."

CHALLENGES: Salaries and endorsement contracts for women still tag behind those of their male counterparts. "I only represent female athletes. Women's contracts are substantially less and therefore most women will take a back seat with agents representing both men and women," says McNulty-King.

MORE INFO: North American Society for Sports Management, www.nassm.com

--Seth Endo

SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR

PAUL FONTANA

AGE: 24

LOCATION: New York, NY

JOB: Fontana coordinates fundraising events for the Heart Association.

EDUCATION: No specific education is required, but for a marketing-related career, a degree in business administration is helpful. Fontana earned a degree in e-business from Berkeley College in New York.