Young Boss Moves: 4 Reasons Getting An Early Career Start is Essential

One classic saying about success never gets old: The early bird gets the (carer advancement) worm. An early start in your professional journey can give you a major boost, allowing time to build a solid body of experience and room for tremendous growth. Many of the greatest leaders had an early start — some in their preteen years — starting their first jobs or businesses while their peers are enjoying proms and growing pains. Though the unemployment numbers for teens today are high— in April, the rate for 16- to 19-year-olds was at 24.9 percent— it’s undeniable that developing a solid work ethic while young can be a major asset in the future.

Check out the stories of four successful professionals who credit their career achievements to their early work experience. They each share the pros and cons of working as teens and offer tips for today’s budding workforce:

Edwin Walker

Age: 35

Profession: Network Manager/Entrepreneur, Atlanta

His first gig: Edwin Walker grew up in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, N.Y., and received his early job experience working for his dad. As a preteen, his father had several small businesses, one being a fruit stand. Edwin was paid to help out and immediately caught on to the value of working. When he was 10 years old, he landed his first “real” job running errands for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), a civil rights organization with an office just a few doors down from where he lived. Walker remembers vividly his $50 weekly salary: “I’ll never forget it.  I thought I was rich!”

A young entrepreneur: Influenced heavily by his father’s entrepreneurial endeavors, Walker realized he could also make extra money if he worked for himself. At 11, he started his own business selling iced treats during the summers in his driveway and recruited his cousins as staff. Like his dad, Walker’s entrepreneurial buzz never died. In high school, he ran a lucrative business selling beepers (Remember those?).  Since then, he has owned and operated many successful business ventures ranging from car sales to property management.

Pros and Cons: After graduating from college on a basketball scholarship, Walker began his career with Bellsouth—now AT&T. He’s been with the company for more than 12 years and has worked his way up to his current role of network manager. He credits his career and entrepreneurial success to his early work experience, and says working as a teen taught him a lot about money management and independence. “When I wanted my first pair of Nikes, my dad said I had to earn half and he would pay the rest. Anything that I wanted, I had to work for.”

While he appreciates all that his early work experience taught him, Walker did miss out on some of the usual, fun things kids do. “I didn’t get to play much basketball with my friends or go away for the summers because I was working,” he says.  “But when my friends didn’t have money, I did.”

Passing it on: Walker now instills the same values of hard work and entrepreneurial values in his 8-year-old-son and 4-year-old daughter. He gives them chores around the house, and takes them to work with him. “I want them to see that this is how the bills get paid.”

Leticia Bhola

Age: 31

Profession: Licensed Master Social Worker, Washington, D.C.

Her First Gig: Leticia Bhola landed her first job in an unconventional setting. After getting her hair styled for several years at a local salon, Bhola noticed that the salon owner was a bit overwhelmed and could use a little help. So, at just 15, Bhola asked if she could join their staff and began working as a salon assistant at Iola’s Beauty Salon in Brooklyn, N.Y.  With her tips and daily salary, she made more money than your average teen after school and on the weekends. She worked at Iola’s until she graduated from high school and went on to work as a data collector for Cornell Medical Center before going to Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

While in college, Bhola worked as a receptionist and administrative assistant for the journalism

department and held several summer jobs as a bank teller and assistant at a law firm. She was no stranger to hard work and learned the importance of balancing school and her jobs. This came in handy when she later worked full time while pursuing her master’s degree in social work.

Pros and Cons: As a licensed social worker, with more than 10 years experience providing social services for various populations, Bhola says her first job taught her much more than how to give a great shampoo. Her greatest lesson came from dealing with the many personalities and cultures that entered the salon each day. “The experience taught me how to deal with diverse populations and how to be a team player,” she says. As a social worker, she has to work with clients from all walks of life, and her experience in the salon prepared her with the cultural sensitivity and relationship skills needed for a successful career in social work.

Bhola was at an advantage when she graduated from college because unlike many of her peers, she had several jobs to put on her resume. “I felt more confident because I already had communication and computer skills,” she says.

Words of Wisdom: Bohla encourages today’s teens to take advantage of any opportunity to gain work experience. “Don’t treat it as just a job. Look at it as building blocks for your future.”  She also encourages teenagers begin working early so that they can find out what professions they like and don’t like.

Isiah Hall

Age: 27

Profession: Associate, Affiliate Services, National Urban League, New York, N.Y.

His First Gig: Isiah Hall landed his first job at 12 years old after a friend encouraged him to work with her at a local nonprofit called YES (Youth Empowered to Speak). Though he didn’t know what a nonprofit was at the time, he immediately became passionate about helping people in his community. While working with YES, Hall’s passion for community organizing and advocacy was birthed. He began working to address issues such as racial profiling, welfare reform, and gang violence. Since that time, Hall’s commitment to his community has led him to work with several other grassroots organizations and in local politics.

Pros & Cons: In addition to his work in the community, Hall also completed internships in the finance and marketing industries while a teenager.  The diversity of his experience as a teen contributed to his success as an adult by making him more marketable. After college, He began work with the National Urban League as an intern and has worked his way up to his current position. “[Working as a teen] allowed me to get exposure and added to my being well-rounded,” he says. Hall understands that his success didn’t just happen by happenstance. “You don’t wake up as a good worker. You become a good worker by practice.”  He learned the importance of punctuality and diligence and says his only challenge was learning how to adapt to different professional settings. As a generally shy teen from “the hood,” he says it wasn’t easy to initially open up in the professional work environment.

Money Management Lessons: Hall’s early work experience also taught him about financial planning and budgeting. “I knew exactly when my $88 check was coming every month. I planned what I could do and how much I’d have left,” he says. His father taught him how to be a provider early on. Whenever he was working, a portion of his income had to go toward the house. He still applies this ethic today, making sure to take care of home first.

Nneka Fritz

Age: 31

Profession: CEO, Higher Ground Education Consulting, New York, N.Y.

Her First Gig: Nneka Fritz began her work experience at 9 years old as an assistant to her grandmother who sold clothes to women in their church and community.  Fritz’s exposure to her grandmother’s entrepreneurial drive peeked her interest in starting her own business.  In the 4^th grade, she was introduced to the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and realized that, like her grandmother, she too had been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. Still a student in elementary school, she started her first business, Nneka’s Candy Corner, which was more

successful than she could have ever imagined. “I remember making $200 in one day selling sour power.” She continued her candy business, and in high school transitioned into selling baked goods.

Pros & Cons: Fritz landed her first job on someone else’s payroll when she was 15 working as an Office Assistant with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. After high school, she joined Inroads, an organization committed to preparing and placing underserved youth in corporate and community opportunities. This led to her first job out of high school with Prudential, where she worked until her senior year at Georgetown University.  “[That experience] gave me good exposure and taught me about the world of business and business etiquette. I met the CEO my first week on the job,” she says.

Fritz insists that working early taught her the importance of consistency and being on time. One challenge often faced by teen workers is that they aren’t taken seriously. Fritz advises that the best way to combat this stereotype is to ask questions and be a sponge for information. Employers appreciate it when young staff are eager to learn, she adds.

As an expert in college recruitment and admissions, Fritz shares three tips for teen and young adult professionals:

Stay off the Internet while you’re at work. Today’s world of social media consumes much of a teenager’s time and energy.  Fritz urges young workers to avoid making the terrible mistake of spending time online rather than doing the job they’re being paid to do.

Seek out mentors & advisers. This is a great way to establish relationships and connect with key people.

Be open. Be willing to try different things. It’s okay if you don’t like something. At least you had that experience early on.