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A New Comedy from the Creators of "Parenthood" and "City Slickers"
MICHAEL J. FOX KIRK DOUGLAS NANCY TRAVIS
OK, SURE
THEY'RE TWO-FACED,
BACE(-STABBE MG,
MONEY-GRU BBE NG,
SM EVELI NG WEASELS.
BUT, HEY...TMEY'RE FAMILY.

the company and how I view things
helped. They were impressed to know I
was thinking about job security.
Did you make any personal or professional
sacrifices to land this job?
told interviewers he was look- time in the office. Work has to become a
W hen 22-year-old John Santos Job security means spending a lot of
ing for job security at an top priority. They expect a lot, and if
advertising agency, he was you want to remain in the business, you
laughed right out of confer- have to accept that.
ence rooms, past handshakes and onto
elevators. How much money do you make?
"It's well-known within ad agencies Mid-twenties.
that it's a volatile business," Santos
says. "It threw them off a bit." What's the worst aspect of your job?
Yet the UCLA graduate knew When you're first starting out,
exactly what he was asking for it's frustrating because it's hard
and last October, one firm lis- to catch on. It's a whole learn-
tened. San Francisco's Hal Riney ing process. There's so much to
& Partners, Ad Age's 1993 ad know it can be overwhelming.
agency of the year, offered him a
job as an assistant media planner. How well did your major prepare you for
Now Santos helps clients determine this job?
whether they should advertise in maga- I majored in communication studies
zines, television, billboards or radio. and business, but at UC schools, there's
"They told me that here, they stick no practical experience. I got the special-
around," Santos says of the low turnover ized aspects by working four years on
in Riney's media department. "I won- the advertising side at the Daily Bruin
dered, 'What are they doing to keep [campus newspaper]. U
these people around?'.
"It's encouraging to find a
place where people stay," he
says as he leans back in aw
conference chair overlooking Y
the Bay Bridge. "I wanted to
settle in and learn as much as ;
I can about media. This is
where I want to be."z
How did you get thisjob? }
I found out about thisQ
opening through a classified
ad in Ad Week [a trade jour-W
nal, which is rare, since assis- 7
rant media planners are usu-
ally promoted from within.z
I think the philosophy of John santosplantostick around atHal Riney & Partners ad agency.
10 " U. Magazine

hat can you do with a histo-
ry degree? Just ask Jim
Conlon, a 1990 St. John's
U. graduate. Conlon, at the
tender age of 26, is vice
president of Dilmun Investments, a
Stamford, Conn., firm which special-
izes in junk bonds and mortgage-
backed securities.
At any given time, Conlon is evalu-
ating a dozen potential investments
and negotiating multimillion dollar
deals. But the path to success
wasn't easily navigated.
Conlon initially wanted to
enter law school and worked h
as a legal assistant at an
investments firm. Twelve-
hour days translated into a
$21,000 yearly salary.
But he soon realized he want-
ed to make the deals instead of
being the "hired hand" who carried
them out. So, late in 1990, he went to
work for TIAA-CREF, the largest
pension fund in the world. At age 22,
less than one year after graduating, he
had made his first multimillion dollar
deal.
Now, three years and one job later,
Conlon makes $85,000 a year, plus a
performance bonus that can put his
salary over $100,000. "My salary has
grown over five-fold in the four years
since graduating. That's pretty good,
over 100 percent a year," he says.

But Conlon says money is more a
way for him to measure success than a
career goal. "Opportunity will always
translate into compensation."
How did you get this job?
While working at TIAA I was work-
ing on a transaction this company had
an interest in. That's how they got to
know me. So when they needed a per-
son, they had seen my work and gave
me a call. They made an offer I
couldn't refuse.
Did you make any personal or professional
sacrifices to landthisjob?
I work a lot of hours. Everybody's in
the office here at 7:30 a.m.
Everybody leaves here between
6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. That's
a typical day.
What's the worst aspect of your
job?
The traveling. The novelty
of business travel wears off
when you get stuck in your first
airport or you find yourself sitting
alone in a faraway hotel in a strange
city with nothing to do. Plus, I have a
wife and two small children. It's tough
being away from them for too long.
How well did your major prepare you for
this job?
If you do well in any subject, it
demonstrates your ability to learn and
to translate what you've learned down
on paper. I didn't rake any classes that
prepared me to read financial state-
ments. I learned to do that on the job.U
MARCH 1994

Where theres a will...there's a relative.
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