like this helped DIRECTV add 484,000 subscribers in the third quarter of 2004 - an increase of 18 percent over the number of new subscribers during the same period in 2003. Satellites R' Us Today, The DIRECTV Group is a world leader in the design, production, and marketing of advanced electronic systems including satellite technology, its bread and butter. DIRECTV is the world's largest communications satellite maker having made nearly 40 percent of the commercial satellites currently in orbit. The company also owns 81 percent of PanAmSat, a 25-satellite global communications network. Visit Vault at www.vault.com for insider company profiles, expert advice, VAULT CAREER career message boards, expert resume reviews, the Vault Job Board and more. LIBRARY Vault Guide to the Top Telecom Employers The DIRECTV Group, Inc. GETTING HIRED Log on for an out-of-this-world job Today, the company seeks help developing its network and marketing what the network carries. The company appears at campus job fairs: check with your career services office. The career section of its web site, www.directv.com/DTVAPP /aboutus/WorkingHere.dsp, accepts online applications for posted jobs. Candidates can also use the site to create an employment profile. Pay-per-(re)view Whether you're a scientist or a salesperson, DIRECTV uses software tools to calculate pay according to a set of benchmarks. The company calls this "performance-based pay" a chance to develop valuable skills, and pairs it with incentive plans. The company offers formal training in performance evaluation, team building, technical projects, and leadership. If the prospect of managerial report cards gets too stressful, workers can find balance in some DIRECTV perks. Offices include on-site massage services and mothers rooms for nursing; the company also provides "celebrations of shared successes." Outside the office, the company emphasizes the splendor of its surroundings. Its major operations - in Southern California, metropolitan Denver, and Boise - all provide easy access t