Fast Facts
How much in a paycheck?
Salary depends on the type and size of the company and where it’s located. An entry-level marketing job for a medium-sized company could average $35,000 yearly, while a senior executive position at a large international company could pay into the six figures.

“I think I could do this!”
Are you . . .

• well-organized
• able to take a lot of information and organize it in a manageable way?
• a team player?

Making It Happen
• Take advantage of an internship opportunity in a field you’re interested in pursuing as a career.
• Join a club or organization at school that’ll give you experience working on a team.
• Even a part-time job is great for building your resume, and you’ll learn how to have a positive attitude toward work.

Wise Words
“I heard a great quote: ‘God doesn’t call us to be successful but faithful.’ If we’re faithful, God opens doors and gets us where He wants us to be, and we can have fun along the way! Through faithfulness comes a success that isn’t necessarily a worldly success, but the success that God wants.” —Jody Dreyer

Jody Dreyer jokingly calls herself a Disney “lifer,” because she’s been with the company for 25 years. She started with Disney as a college intern during their summer program. After graduation, she was offered a full-time position in guest relations at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. From there, Jody also worked in advertising, promotions and special events. She even spent a year as a Walt Disney World Ambassador, where she traveled around the world as a spokesperson for Disney.

“I’ve had many different careers within the company, which ultimately led to moving to California for the job at corporate,” she says. Jody credits all the different positions she’s had as good preparation for her current job. “I look back at my career, and I could have never plotted out the path that it took, but one thing led to another, and then I realized what I enjoy the most,” she explains.

Sharing Stories
In her current position in marketing, Jody works to strategically market Disney films to family audiences, including faith-based and educational groups. On a typical day, Jody might work with different groups at the studio (the advertising and promotions departments) as well as external groups, such as the American Library Association, press outlets or Web sites (basically any organization that wants to know about upcoming movies).

Jody’s latest project is marketing The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which releases May 16. Jody developed a program called Read It and See It!, encouraging people to read the book and see the movie for a double-dose of fun. That program involves advertisements, promotions and online content. There’s also an initiative to engage groups to discuss the movie together.

“It involves the launch of a Web site that will have fun activities, discussion-starters and ways a group can experience all the adventure of Prince Caspian together,” she says.

Satisfied
Jody thinks the most rewarding part of her career is working with great people while doing something she’s passionate about. “It’s people who want to do a great job and go for quality and excellence, and it’s fun to be part of a team like that! I’m excited about great entertainment and good storytelling, so taking those great stories and letting people know about them is satisfying.”