Carol
O'Neal

Carol O'Neal may be "biased on the side of astrology," but we'd be hard pressed to disagree with one horoscoper's description of those born, like her, on August 18: "You have a vigorous personality and will do well in the many enterprises you'll undertake." To Carol, that makes sense. "Recently," says our 23-year-old Playmate, "I've moved into the first house of a new career." She started work in 1970 as a Playboy receptionist. Since that time, the company's headquarters in Chicago have expanded; the Playboy Center now includes not only offices but a hotel, shops and a brand-new Playboy Club. Carol's duties have been enlarged also, to include screening job applicants for Playboy's Personnel Department. "I ask each caller what sort of job he wants, review his employment form and let him know what positions are open. Sometimes, on the basis of our conversation, I'm able to suggest alternate posts he might qualify for." Carol's paramount responsibility, as she sees it, is making prospective employees feel at ease. "That's important," she says, "because a person can best communicate what he has to offer if he's not uptight." Making people comfortable, in fact, has been a leitmotif of Miss O'Neal's professional life. She first learned to deal with the public as an airline stewardess; but the travel and free-time benefits of the job weren't enough to outweigh her practical concerns about the future. "Hostessing was fun, but the opportunities for advancement were so rare that I decided to look for a more promising career." So she came to Playboy, where, in addition to her Personnel responsibilities, she is on call for assignments from Playboy Models. Looking ahead, Carol faces an enviable range of career choices. "I really enjoy personnel work," she says, "and I'm learning more about it every day. On the other hand, it would be exciting to become a top-notch model." Whatever she decides to do, Carol is fully confident that success awaits her. After all, she says, "It's written in the stars."