"The expert in anything was once a beginner."
-Helen Hayes
This week on The Upswing, I asked both the presidents of Summerfest and Marquette University about their first jobs. You’ll have to listen this weekend to hear what they were.
Where was your first job? Do you remember?
Mine was as a caddie at a country club, and it was one of the best first jobs you could ever have - even if I spent most of the earnings at the old-school McDonald’s at Mayfair Mall. I learned so much - how to manage emotions, deal with long hours and heat, and do real physical work. I learned how to read people, when to talk and when to be quiet, how to show up and be dependable. Caddying is just a great, great first job, but honestly, any first job has that hidden curriculum.
So here’s a little summer assignment: the next person you see, ask them what their first job was. Then listen to their story. Talk, too, about your first boss and what you learned. What you liked. What you didn’t. And maybe how that job quietly helped steer you toward what you’re doing and who you are today.