Kid Territory:Jobs: Managing Money
Our payroll clerks like to give the biweekly delivery of payroll checks a little color! The white package is filled with Wild Animal Park payroll checks, and the red box holds checks for Zoo employees.
The Purchasing Department buys items needed to care for our animals, including the mealworms, fruits, veggies, and fish used to feed our birds.
Money from tickets sold for rides such as the Skyfari, bus tours, and miniature train is processed through our Finance Department.
What we do
The Finance Department at the Zoological Society of San Diego (which runs the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park) keeps track of all the money. We pay all the bills that come in for items the Zoo and Park needs. We also collect money (for example, from companies that use our facilities for special events). It is very important to make sure all the money the Zoo and Park collects and spends goes to all the right places! We set up budgets, handle purchases, and process our employees’ paychecks.
What’s cool about this job
The Zoo and Wild Animal
Park are like small cities. We enjoy working with all the different departments
here, as each one is so unique. And there
is such a variety of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and areas
of
knowledge. These folks are always extra glad to see us, especially every
two weeks—on payday!
It's always fun to walk right outside our office building and see the
animals, especially the babies. A fun benefit for all employees here
is a program called Visit-A-Job, where employees are randomly selected
each month to spend a day visiting another department of their choice.
For instance, we could spend a day with researchers at our CRES (Conservation and Research for Endangered Species) facility, or watch the keepers
in the Children's Zoo.
Job challenges
We meet deadlines weekly and monthly, in accordance with strict guidelines issued by the Internal Revenue Service and the State of California. When new laws come into effect every year, we must educate the Zoological Society of the changes. And of course it’s important to process payroll checks in a timely and accurate manner.
Budgets are very similar to allowances. If you receive a cash allowance from your parent once a week or once a month, you probably have to budget that money so you don't spend it all at once. Perhaps you've asked for more money for a special reason, after your allowance ran out. The same thing happens here! Some departments at the Zoo and Park request extra money for special needs, and sometimes it's hard to get that money for them.
How this job helps animals
Most employees work here because we love animals. Even though we don't work directly with them, we help the animals by purchasing their food and medical supplies, and paying the salaries of their caretakers.
How to get a job like this
Staying in school and studying math and computers is very important. Many people in this field obtain a college degree in accounting, too. To see if accounting is right for you, you could start in a clerical position for any company that has an accounting or finance department. You need to be a quick learner, have a great memory, good reading and writing abilities, and be able to work independently and/or with a team.
