Business degree law online

ALTHOUGH OUR ECONOMY MAY STILL BE SLOW, those entering careers in law and business are finding a healthy number of opportunities. Many of these careers are considered recession-proof. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of lawyers in the U.S. topped 1 million in 2003 and record numbers are taking the LSAT. Job opportunities should be plentiful, according to overlawyered.com.

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. In fact, corporate recruitment efforts at the school have doubled in the past three years and applications to the Gabelli School of Business have increased 55 percent.

IT TAKES SCHOOLIN'

AJD (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 chose 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 is good communication skills. "You 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 legal assistant.

WHERE THE JOBS ARE

One of the biggest demands comes from consulting firms, which 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 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.

SPORTS AGENT

JEANNE MCNULTY-KING

AGE: 36

LOCATION: Missoula, MT

JOB: President and CEO of 2 X Inc.

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 one to five percent of salaries. 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 is very important to just be there for the players and provide friendship and support."

CHALLENGES: Salaries and endorsement contracts for women still lag 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: 23

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.

SALARY: The median annual salary for marketing managers is more than $70,000.

ON THE JOB: Fontana helps arrange the Heart Association gala and food and wine tasting events. A lot of the job involves coordinating the printing of solicitation letters, followed up with invoices and billing. Managing a huge database of names of potential contributors is key.

STARTING OUT. "I always wanted to start my own business, and the e-business training from Berkeley taught me office systems software, and how to set up Web pages and how to capture credit card information online. I'm using this knowledge to set up an online business selling health food and vitamins. But I also want real world business experience, which this job gives me."

REWARDS: "I often get to speak directly with those who may contribute, and that helps me to be a better salesperson."

CHALLENGES: "Soliciting people is hard--you have to say the right things. But you do it 100 times and you get it right. The job has taught me how to approach people."

MORE INFO: Sales and Marketing Executives International, www.smei.org--Don Rauf

HR MANAGER

KRISTI BREEN

AGE: 35

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 B.A. in international affairs from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

SALARY: The median salary is $59,000.

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 interns.

STARTING OUT: Breen liked human resources 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. I actively recruited on campuses before becoming a manager, and 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

TRAVEL MANAGER

NEAL STEINKEN

AGE: 43

LOCATION: Chicago, IL

JOB: Manager of product development for Apple Vacations.

EDUCATION: There are no set educational requirements, but those entering the field should have experience working with the public--they should also be friendly and outgoing. Travel experience is also an asset, as well as patience and a mind for details. Some colleges offer majors in travel and tourism. Courses in computers, foreign languages, and geography can be helpful. The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) has a correspondence course that provides a basic understanding of the industry.

SALARY: On average, tour managers can earn $25,000 to $40,000 a year. Most earnings are based on commission.

ON THE JOB: "Basically I put together all the components of a trip and negotiate for the best rate on airfares, hotel accommodations, greeters, and whatever. Once the package is together, I work with the marketers to get the word out to the public through travel agents. We eater to everyone from college students to seniors to families. Our ski program is especially popular with the college kids.