“Just about everyone started out in an entry-level job. I did, and I bet you did. My first job was as a dishwasher in a restaurant for $2.10 an hour. It wasn’t a great job, but it was a great first job.”
– Bill Simon, President and CEO, Walmart U.S., quoted in January 21-27, 2013 Bloomberg Businessweek
Not counting the work on the farm, my first job was at Terry Bonnet’s DX service station in Fairfield, IA. I am pretty sure it paid $1.65 an hour. It wasn’t a great job, either, but it was a great first job.
Recently, a guy I know told his boss he needed to “make more money.” I’m pretty sure that’s illegal. Only the US Treasury can “make” money (and Lord knows they’ve been printing a lot of it for a couple years now, but I digress…). What if we thought in terms of how much money we can earn instead?
The connection between work performed and wages paid is getting weaker and weaker, and it contributes to the broader challenges businesses are facing. Let’s make a difference by making sure we’re “earning” what we’re “making.”
It’s a subtle shift, but it’s also more than simple semantics.
Al Barry says
Steve my first job was selling produce at a roadside stand. I made a $1.00 per hour. I remember one summer the farmer was complaining how farmers do… bad weather, lower sales, bad field laborers and I thought wow he is hurting … I was feeling bad for him. Then in the fall like every year he rolled up in his new 1959 bright green Cadillac … big fins and all. I guess I learned a leson that day for a poor farmer he was doing pretty good.
I think it is true I have seen in my career of working with people a small group of people that will work harder at getting out of work than if they just did their job and quit complaining and as you say earn what they are making.
Al
Steve Heston says
Good story, Al. I hope others will weigh in with their first job stories, too.
Chris Albrecht says
Steve,
My 1st job was delivering the Columbus Citizen-Journal, a morning paper that required getting up & at ’em at 4 am, Monday through Saturday (no big, heavy Sunday paper- the only perk!). I took it very seriously and my customers on that route claimed that I was the best carrier they’d ever had (paper was always on-time and on the porch- or in some cases behind the storm door). I had to go door-to-door once a week to collect the princely sum of 42 cents. I typically cleared about $8/week. I learned a lot about responsibility, and I’ll bet that I’m STILL the best carrier they ever had!
Chris
Geoff Hutton says
Hess, I believe my first job was probably mowing the yard, shoveling the snow, taking out trash and most anything else at the house. After numerous “reminders”, I did learn that each job was pretty important to the scheme of our house running smoothly. The pay was not good, but I did get to eat and enjoy other fringe benefits that came with performing those first jobs. Probably taught me alot about the importance of accountability.
Joseph Caprez says
My first job was referee-ing soccer games at the age of 12. THE lesson learned: “making the right call never pleases everyone.” For what it’s worth, my second job was bussing tables (while still having the first job). THE lesson learned: “do everything I need to do (education, experience, work ethic, etc.), so I never have to do that again.”