What Was Your First Job?

Business owners, community leaders, and creative souls tell us how they got their start

By Al Parker | May 13, 2023

Young workers shouldn’t be discouraged if their first jobs don’t come with big paychecks and even bigger status. Many very successful people had humble work debuts: Beyoncé’s first work situation was sweeping up hair in her mother’s salon; Mick Jagger sold ice cream; and Brad Pitt dressed as a chicken to promote an eatery.

In honor of our Now Hiring issue, Northern Express checked with a number of locals to see what they picked up from their first work gig. (Spoiler: No chicken costumes, but we do have some cows and a few restaurants.)

Joe Short, Founder of Short’s Brewing

The entrepreneurial spirit has always been strong with me. As a kid, I sold Halloween candy and baseball cards to make a buck. By the time I was 12, I was doing odd jobs for a neighbor in Rapid City and learning everything from the Doppler effect to how to properly detail a car. When I could legally work, I was buffing cars and taking out the trash at local businesses. I cut my teeth in hospitality at the Dockside, and when I realized how much I loved service (and tips!), I was hooked for life. Working on the water also gave me a deep appreciation for my home, and led to the establishment of Short’s Brewing in Bellaire 10 years later.

Rachel Johnson, Incoming CEO of Cherryland Electric

My first paid job was as a clerk at a grocery store when I was 15. That job taught me two things that still stick with me today. The most important lesson is to show gratitude and to never forget there are real humans behind the service. I always try to make eye contact, listen and truly engage, and offer sincere thanks to anyone who is helping me at the grocery store or elsewhere. It’s really a small thing, but I know from experience it makes a huge difference. I also learned the produce codes for common items. Want some bananas? That would be #4011.

Ed Ness, President and CEO of Munson Healthcare

There is nothing quite comparable to heading to work on a dark, freezing Minnesota morning to milk cows and muck stalls. My first job was on my neighbor’s 100-head dairy farm. As a 16-year-old, I drove big four-wheel-drive tractors, witnessed calves being born, learned a lot about problem solving, and developed a work ethic that stems from the unending demands of a farm. I kept that job throughout my high school years. It gave me a love for rural communities, and undoubtedly helped influence my decision to leave healthcare opportunities in the Chicago area and come to northern Michigan.

Julie Rubsam, Executive Director of HeadWaters Land Conservancy

Reflecting on the six years I trekked the hills of our neighborhood as a paper carrier, I can say there are many lessons I learned along the way which still impact my life. Planning is important: Navigating an after school paper route, the weather, practices, homework, and other activities required ongoing planning. Learn to adapt: Even with the best planning, unexpected things happen. Instead of allowing myself to be derailed, I learned to find quick and creative solutions. Be clear and state expectations: While training substitute carriers, I learned communicating information clearly and being direct about expectations created the best outcomes for everyone. Being outdoors is awesome: Perhaps the most important lesson learned was that it is possible to work outdoors. While my current position often has me sitting behind a desk, having the ability to get outside and trek in all kinds of weather is still my happiest place to be.

Stafford Smith, Founder of Stafford’s Hospitality

My first job was with my mother in 1942 to 1944. She was a trained dietitian who volunteered to feed approximately 200 Army Air Corp Cadets three meals a day at the United Methodist Church in Albion, Michigan. These cadets were taking their early training to become pilots at Albion College. I was only four, and as there was no child care available, my mother took me to the job site and perched me on a stool at the head of the serving line where I folded linen napkins. This task afforded me to be able to talk with the cadets and sort of act like the general host of the dining room. I guess I learned that kitchens never stop. There is always something being prepped for the next meal and dishes to be washed.

Noelle Moeggenberg, Prosecuting Attorney of Grand Traverse County

My first real job was a summer during high school spent at the local McDonald’s. I learned that I do not like polyester uniforms and I can no longer eat fast food. More than anything, remembering this job motivated me for years when my desire to buckle down and study was low. That said, the job wasn't all bad. I made friends and I truly enjoyed the morning regulars. Greeting the same group of women who walked to McDonald’s together every morning for their “senior coffee” made me smile every time.

Matt Morrissey, Event Director of Traverse City Horse Shows

My first job as a young teenager was at The River Club golf course in Bradenton, Florida. My role(s) at the course was to pick the golf course driving range and assist with getting golf carts ready in the morning, cleaning them upon return, and getting them back into the cart barn to charge for the next round of golf that day or the next morning. I had this job from late middle school up until the end of high school and it required oftentimes being one of the first to the course or one of the last to leave the course with little supervision. Some of the invaluable lessons I learned as an employee was the importance of being dependable, paying attention to the details, and not being afraid to make mistakes, but also learning from those mistakes.

Joyce Petrakovitz, Cadillac artist

When I was a young (19) art student at College for Creative Studies in Detroit I worked at the Detroit Community Music School after my classes were over for the day. I was the night receptionist. I buzzed students and music teachers into the building, answered the phone, took messages for teachers, and loved my job! The people there were wonderful, kind, and very interesting. What I learned from working there was how much I loved being with people in the arts and how to clean pianos. Almost every room had a piano, and sometimes dusting the insides and polishing the outsides was my Saturday job.

Rick Heitmeyer, Kalkaska Schools Superintendent

My first job was working as a gopher for my dad, Carl Heitmeyer, who owned Elk Rapids Tile. He has been in the floor covering business for more than 50 years. I did a lot of carrying tile, hardwood, and all the cements, grouts, and mixes. Sometimes, I would be allowed to do some real “work,” but mostly I just hauled, retrieved, delivered. We would spend so much time prepping for each job—thinking, calculating, etc. It used to drive me crazy, but what I ultimately learned is that if you put the right amount of time into preparing, the work takes care of itself and comes out really solid.

Stacie Bytwork, President of Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce

Naturally, you take on a leadership role when you have three brothers and you are the eldest. So my first official job was babysitting, not my brothers—as that was expected—but one of our family friend’s children. I was 11 years old, and thinking back, I am not sure I would trust an 11-year-old now to watch my three-month-old. I remember that sweet baby girl crying almost the entire time. I powered through, called my mom a couple times, and was their official babysitter of record. My first job taught me to be dedicated and driven at a very young age, how to manage conflict, and care for a small little human.