As Seen In the Eagle Tribune - Monday, July 25, 2005
What was your first summer job?
By Rushmie A. Kalke
Staff writer
Take me directly to the
piece about Visiting Geeks Cofounder, Sharron Senter
Every day, executives and business owners make
decisions about weighty issues such as earnings
potential, strategic development or sales targets.
They hire, they fire and they move co-workers into
different positions, judging their ability and
potential to do the job.
But rising to the top didn't happen overnight. Many of
the area's shakers and movers started with summer jobs
doing less-than-glamorous tasks such as bagging
groceries or busing tables. Despite decidedly humble
beginnings, these successful local men and women say
the experiences in their first jobs taught them
invaluable lessons they use in their current
positions.
They also have advice for today's youth plying the
workplace for the first time. Think creatively. Accept
responsibility and learn from your mistakes. And try
to have fun, no matter how awful the job seems right
now. After all, they said, there's always next summer.
Anne Davis
Executive vice president of administration at New
Balance, the athletic apparel and footwear firm with
operations in Lawrence
Davis began working as a cashier at the Butcher Boy
Market, located on Route 28 in Salem, N.H., when she
was 161/2.
Q. Why did you take the job?
A. I knew that I wanted to attend college after high
school, so I realized early on that I needed to start
saving money as soon as possible. I started at $1.00
an hour. It was my goal to make $50 a week. My thought
was if I worked 10 weeks during the summer then I
could raise $500 — which was about half the cost of a
year of college tuition in those days.
Q. A memorable moment?
A. One day a woman and her young daughter were
checking out. The young girl was very cute, so I was
paying more attention to her — giving her a lollipop
and not focusing on the transaction. It turns out I
may have given the woman the wrong change and she
claimed that I still owed her $5. As I was not sure
who was in the wrong, and I didn't want to endure the
embarrassment of having the manager come close my
register down during a busy time in the store to see
if my drawer was off by $5, so I ended up giving her
$5 of my own money. It saved me the embarrassment but
was equivalent to five hours of work.
Q. Lessons learned?
A. This experience made me realize that you really
need to focus on the task at hand. Concentration,
attention to detail, and hard work are a must.
Q. Advice for young job seekers?
A. No matter what job you are undertaking — be it one
that you are excited for, or not so much, give it all
your effort, work hard, be disciplined, and it will
most likely provide you with a good learning
experience. It can teach you a lot about yourself,
your work ethic, what you enjoy doing and what you
don't, and lead you in the direction of future career
paths to pursue.
Chip Will
Owner of Learning Express, a toyshop on Park Street in
Andover
At 16, Will began working at the Demoulas Market
Basket on Essex Street in Lawrence, earning $2.10 an
hour to stock shelves.
Q. Lessons learned?
A. I had a really good boss who taught me a lot about
people. He was a relationship guy. Customers walked in
and considered him a friend. For instance, there was
an elderly housing place nearby, and if the
(residents) came short of money, he would pay for
them. Or there were characters in the neighborhood and
he could diffuse situations. His first reaction was to
be nice to them. The outcome would have turned out
worse if he wasn't handling it.
Q. Perks of the job?
A. I met my wife there! I still keep up with my former
boss. In fact, we just went to a 25th wedding
anniversary party of a couple who met while working
there.
Q. Has your first job helped you today?
A. I have definitely taken what I learned from my boss
and applied it here, especially with the teenage help.
Teenagers are always testing limits and I deal with it
a lot better based on what he taught me. The kids here
know they are important to us.
Q. Advice to young job seekers?
A. Even if you don't like a job or you don't have a
good boss, you can learn something. Kids today don't
value having a job today as much as they should. Their
experience at work is just as valuable than if they
are playing sports. They learn a lot of real-life
lessons like dealing with people. I tell all the kids
to study hard or they'll end up in the toy business.
Sharron L. Senter
Executive vice president of marketing at Visiting Geeks LLC, a
computer networking consulting firm in Merrimac
Senter began working as a nurses aide (called "Blue Girls"), when
she was 16 at the former Hale Hospital in Haverhill (now the
Merrimack Valley Hospital).
Q. What were your wages?
A. I was paid $7 an hour, and banked $50 a week at the credit
union for college. I earned enough to pay for the first semester
of college on my own.
Q. Memorable moment?
A. I grew up really fast because there is life and death all
around at a hospital. One of the most shaking moments happened
early on. I was walking around with water for patients. One
patient had his call bell on so I went to see him. He was
essentially lifeless. He had gone into cardiac arrest right during
shift changes and I was the only one on the floor. I yelled out,
'There is a man dying!' All these people showed up and brought him
back to life. I learned early on about how delicate life is.
Q. How did your experience affect later career choices?
A. I matured early and took on supervisory roles while I was
young. That catapulted my career. I got more promotions and
eventually started my own business. I wanted to lead and have an
impact on decisions. My experience at the hospital allowed me to
be a leader, have an opinion and make a difference.
Q. Advice to teens?
A. That they take any job seriously. You have to get some
experience working with the public. At a fast food place, you are
dealing with the public, and with angry customers you have to
learn how to win them back. If you don't try various jobs, how
will you know your passions? It makes sense to do your homework
when you're young.
Fred Fehrmann
Co-owner of National Fiber Technology, a Lawrence-based hair and
fur fabric manufacturer
Before making products that have appeared in Hollywood feature
films, including "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" and "The Cat in
the Hat," Fehrmann worked at the Albert Pick Motel in Nashville,
Tenn. He earned $3.75 an hour for hotel maintenance — washing
dishes, clearing tables and cleaning the pool when he was 14 years
old.
Q. Memorable moment?
A. NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip and their crews
used to stay at the hotel when they raced at Nashville Speedway.
They were real nice. Also, we would leave the pool open late into
the season. The Canadian farmers would come down to see the Grand
Ole Opry after harvest time and they loved to go swimming in what
they said was a "warm pool"!
Q. Lessons learned?
A. The maintenance supervisor was patient (enough) when I brought
problems that occurred around the motel to his attention. However,
I found out that he liked me more when I had thought of two to
three workable solutions to that problem before I presented it to
him. I also learned a lot about customer service, respecting
people's privacy, and making things right the first time.
Q. Did the job impact later career decisions?
A. Absolutely! I now supervise and maintain all of the machinery
at NFT.
Q. Advice?
A. Listen. Pay attention. Ask lots of questions. And never lose
your sense of humor.
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