The Surprising Money Lessons People Learned in Their First Jobs
Written by
Jordan Rosenfeld
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Because many people have little to no work experience when taking their first job, these jobs are often forgettable experiences that you might not think much about down the road.
However, you might be surprised to realize you learned more at a first job than you first considered.
GoBankingRates spoke to professionals who were surprised to look back and see that their first jobs, from the pizza shop to plumbing, taught them money lessons and work skills that they still use today.
Show Your Work When Asking for More
Sharon Rose Hayward, founder of Winning at Work, worked her first job at a pizza shop.
She soon found out that the salary advertised for her same position at a different establishment was 25% higher and she got an idea.
“I created a document that showcased everything I handled, had learned, education I was pursuing, leadership examples, etc.,” Hayward said. “I scheduled a meeting, told them I knew their market rate for my position was 25% more, shared my document and told them I should be at that same level.”
Her hard work paid off. She received the pay increase. “In reality, looking back I should have received more because I had more company knowledge and experience, but the lessons stick with me. I teach this to my clients and in all of my classes.”
She said that when you can justify your value to the company there may be flexibility to meet your compensation requirements. Moreover, people need to be aware of the value they bring to their company but be willing to grow and change.
Your Career Is in Your Hands
In Hayward’s pizza shop job, she overheard all kinds of high-level, professional people discussing their job strategies at lunch and realized even then that “[S]ometimes a job is a financial dead end and it was up to me to do something about it. That’s the underlying theme to everything I do, all the women I coach, blogs, book, etc. — it’s really in your control to get what you want, no blame and no giving others control.”
She soon left the pizza shop and applied to a job as a clerk in a law firm, which really leveled up her expectations of what was possible.
“Ultimately I was inspired to become a women’s career coach because of these examples, especially the 25% salary increase,” she said. “Most women I worked with as colleagues and later those who reported to me had no idea that they could ask for more, expect more or that anything different was even possible. That’s what inspired me and continues to drive me to this day.”
Quality Work Attracts Better Pay
Derek Bruce, the operations director at First Aid at Work Course said that the most important lesson he learned in his first job was that “quality work attracts opportunities for better pay.”
He found that his attention to detail was reflected in his compensation.
“When [you do] a good job, people take notice. Not only your boss but your co-workers whose respect you seek. Good work is the surest way to make a long-term living through a stellar reputation for excellence that eventually translates into promotions, pay increases and opportunity,” Bruce said.
The Value of Collaboration
Bruce also valued what he learned from colleagues. “Through learning how to collaborate with others, leveraging what they are good at, I ended up working better with others and utilizing my existing connections and networking ability to ultimately get much better results.”
He was able to use these connections to build deeper relationships with others which he said, “[G]ave me the keys to much bigger financial milestones than I had ever expected.”
“When individuals take these lessons to heart, they set themselves up for better financial outcomes in the future,” he said.
Clear and Simple Communication Is Vital
Uku Tomikas, CEO and founder of Messente, a business messaging company, said of his first customer service job, “At first, I was expected to do simple tasks that seemed like no big deal, like writing simple customer notifications. However, this experience taught me much about how direct communication can greatly affect customer satisfaction and trust.”
He remembered one specific incident when he needed to get critical information out to users immediately on the job. “How we created and sent that message taught me how to balance immediacy and clarity. It’s a lesson I’ve carried with me every step of the way…” he said.
Budgeting and Saving
Matt Little, the director and owner of Festoon House, a party supply company, held his first job as a plumber, earning what he calls a modest living.
“It was then that I realized the value of budgeting and saving. Every dollar was valuable and I had to carefully plan my expenses to ensure that I could meet my needs while still having money left over for savings,” he said.
This discipline of careful budgeting and saving has remained with him throughout the years.
“Even today…I follow the same principles. Despite the increase in income and financial stability, I continue to plan and budget meticulously. This allows me to effectively manage the company’s finances, ensuring that we can cover operating costs, invest in growth and maintain a healthy bottom line,” he said.
The Power of Investing in Yourself
Little also learned the importance of investing in himself and his skills for greater success.
“As a plumber, I realized that having more skills and certifications made my services more valuable. This prompted me to spend money on training courses and certifications, which was a substantial investment at the time.”
This investment paid off. “Today, as the owner of Festoon House, I continue to invest in myself and my employees. We regularly attend training and development programs to improve our skills and keep up with the latest trends and technologies. This not only improves the quality of our services, but also gives us a competitive advantage on the market.”
The Art of Listening
“Listening to customers’ feedback in my first job was a critical skill that I’ve carried into my current role,” Sophia Tang, founder of Nako Cosmetics, said.
She added that understanding and acting upon customer insights has been instrumental in her company’s product development process.
“A significant pivot based on customer feedback led to a 30% increase in customer satisfaction and a subsequent rise in sales, highlighting the invaluable impact of listening on business growth,” she said.
Financial Discipline
Tang can see a direct line to her financial discipline today in her first job as a cashier. Handling daily transactions laid the groundwork for her business’s financial management, Tang said.
“This early experience taught me the importance of accuracy and vigilance in financial affairs. For example, at Nako Cosmetics, implementing rigorous budgeting and auditing processes has been pivotal, enabling us to achieve a consistent growth margin,” she said. “This disciplined approach has ensured our stability and scalability in the competitive cosmetics industry.”
Though you may be light years ahead of where you started from your first job today, you may owe some of today’s success to what you learned all those years ago.
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