“I manage Assurant’s international legal team across the globe, overseeing lawyers in Asia, Europe, Latin America as well as Canada,” says Doris Vigo, vice president and managing attorney for New York, NY-based Assurant Solutions, www.assurant.com/Careers.

“In the U.S. I manage the lawyers that work on mobile and digital service products for our Connected Living division. In this capacity, I assist my team in structuring the business arrangements between Assurant and our clients,” she explains.

Adds Vigo, who is based in Miami, FL: “Working with various disciplines across the company and with our customers across the negotiating table, I have the opportunity to help create a product offering that helps customers protect what matters most to them.”

Vigo’s parents inspired her early interest in the legal field. “My mom and dad migrated from the Dominican Republic and Cuba, respectively,” she explains. “Since neither of my parents spoke English fluently, and as an only child, I was enlisted as their interpreter, helping them with financial and legal situations related to our family’s dry-cleaning business. These experiences (along with my propensity for argument!) prompted my early interest in law.”

Vigo first studied accounting at The University of Miami (FL). “I worked in a hospital system as more of an accounting systems analyst despite not having an educational background in information systems. I quickly realized that if I was going to get an advanced degree, it should be to pursue my lifelong passion and earn a law degree,” she remembers.

She enrolled at the University of Miami’s Law School evening program, which allowed her to work at the hospital during the day and attend law school at night. “It was a lot of hard work, but it paid off,” she says.

Vigo calls one’s first job “a first step in a learning process of what’s right for you.” As you pursue your career, it’s crucial to focus on a company and position that offers you a healthy work environment, “one where you can grow and where your boss understands that his/her career success is a reflection of your career success.” she maintains, adding, “A good boss is like a good teacher that will make the learning process easier and will want to help you grow in your career.”

To stand out in the job market, Vigo refers to the old - but true - adage that hard work pays off: “Make sure you work hard to bring value to your role after you’ve accepted the job. Colleagues will provide you with more opportunities and responsibilities if they see you’re open to taking on new and different challenges.”

She concludes: “During the last 20-plus years working at Assurant, I’ve been afforded the opportunity to leverage both my business and legal skills by working in concert with my business colleagues to contribute to the growth of the company while assuming positions of increasing responsibility.”