Stephen Colbert was once a futon dealer.
Photos by Montcalir Film/Flickr and LinJurveston/Flickr
Nobody starts at the top. Unless, of course, they come from a wealthy and connected family, and they get to bypass all the life lessons on the road to success.
Nearly everyone else starts off somewhere near the bottom.
There are a lot of factors that determine how successful one will become. Research published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior found the biggest predictor of success is emotional intelligence. Interpersonal competence, self-awareness, and social awareness are the best predictors of long-term success.
People have been sharing how they’ve progressed in their careers on Twitter under #firstsevenjobs. A group of highly-successful celebrities chimed in, showing how they started in low-paying jobs such as a dishwasher or car-detailer before, ultimately, becoming rich and famous.
Before he knew the world was hungry for people rapping about states’ rights and the Compromise of 1790, “Hamilton” creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, operated a slushie machine.
\n#first7jobs Slushee machine at my aunt's storeIntern for WNETMcD's...registerData entryDrawing 1 modelCommunity paper writerTeacher
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) August 7, 2016\n
To think, there are people out there who can say they bought a futon off Stephen Colbert.
\n#firstsevenjobs construction, bus boy, cafeteria server, library data entry, futon frame maker, futon salesman, waiter
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) August 7, 2016\n
There’s no way when Buzz Aldrin was washing dishes he thought he’d make it to the moon.
\n#firstsevenjobs Dish washerCamp counselorFighter pilotAstronautCommandantSpeakerAuthorNow Global Space Statesman!
— Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) August 7, 2016\n
Before becoming the host of CNN’s “United Shades of America,” W. Kamu Bell was dishing out scoops of Cherry Garcia at Ben and Jerry’s.
\n#firstsevenjobsNewspaper standJanitor, my high schoolcollege work studyMichael Jordan retail storeCondom ShopBen & Jerry'sVideo Store
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) August 7, 2016\n
Before Monica Lewinsky became a Women’s rights advocate, she was once an unpaid intern at the White House in the ‘90s.
\n#firstsevenjobsart dealer (age 8)lemonade standtoy-o-ramaknot shop (LA)knot shop (OR)@WhiteHouse @ThePentagon
— Monica Lewinsky (@MonicaLewinsky) August 6, 2016\n
Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino (“The Mighty Aphrodite”) learned how to speak Chinese and bartend before becoming famous.
\n#firstsevenjobs BabysitterESL teacher in BeijingCopy editorWaitressScript readerBartenderChinese tutor
— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) August 7, 2016\n
“House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon was an ace at wiping down your dash with Armor All before anyone knew what binge-watching meant.
\n#firstsevenjobs1. Movie Theater2. Busboy3. Car Detailer4. Plastics Factory5. SAT Prep Teacher6. Barista7. Campaign staff...15. TV
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) August 6, 2016\n