Someone once said while flipping hamburgers at McDonalds he learned that customers want their orders quickly and undamaged. His name is Jeff Bezos and he created his Amazon Empire based on lessons learned at age 16.
While most would not think of them as life-changing, those summer jobs of youth, and the lessons learned, can affect an individual’s future paths. “That summer job really connects you to adulthood,” says business consultant Garrison Wynn. “It really connects you to being able to create your own destiny.”
Oprah Winfrey’s first job was as cashier at a grocery store. Warren Buffet credits a paper route with teaching him early and valuable lessons.
Wynn says the motivator for kids is the money. “It’s the paycheck. When the kid gets that paycheck at the end of the week, that’s something they haven’t had before. Mom and dad didn’t give them that. It wasn’t a gift.”
But the value is ambition, accountability, responsibility, money management and confidence.
Bezos tells the story of his first week at McDonalds. A leaking five-gallon jug of ketchup sent oozy, red fluid into every crack and crevice. As the new guy, he was handed a rag. The rest is history.