I can still remember my first jobs as though they happened yesterday. They remain deeply implanted in my memory because I learned so much. At the time, I didn’t think I was really gaining from the experiences, other than a paycheck. Yet, as I reflect, there were many, many lessons that formed the basis of the worker I would become.
My first notable job was mowing yards. Where I lived, the summers were humid and unbearably hot. No matter the temperature or how soaked my t-shirt became, grass grew and had to be cut. People depended on you showing up. They expected a job to be done well. You had to please the person you worked for to get the compliment, perhaps a tip, and invited back. Some wanted way more than they were willing to pay, and some were generous with cold water, “great job”, and extra cash. Lessons learned.
My second job, where I felt like an employee, was working at the Ben Franklin Store, which carried everything under the sun for the residents of my small hometown. Here, I worked as part of a team that needed me to do my job unpacking shipments, carrying stock to the shelves, handling the trash, and sweeping. What I did was important, or at least, it felt like it.
Boxes needed to be stacked neatly, everything in its place, merchandise had a numbering system, pricing came from printed sheets. Accuracy was critical, the location was consistent, an organization in all things. Handle carefully, keep it clean, don’t break it. Wow!
There was so much to learn as I watched the ladies display products, wait on customers, run the cash register. I observed and learned. On the rare occasion, I was able to assume any of those duties, the message was “you have learned enough to do the higher-level work”. Not the most important, because what I did was important too. They taught me, and I absorbed the lessons.
I eventually worked in a theatre, an ice cream stand, a grain elevator. I hauled hay, cut trees, opened envelopes, filed documents, and more. Every task was an opportunity to learn. No task was insignificant. Each one required skills, methods, and procedures. Your attitude, relationship with other workers, handling of customers, were all important. Early experiences are what shape our youth, then and now. They shaped me. We must give young people opportunities to learn, make mistakes, observe, and practice. That’s how we learned, and that’s how they will.