One Friday morning, an eager young student at Standford University stood before Louis Janin. He was seeking part-time employment from Janin, who informed him, “All I need right now is a clerk-typist.” “Fine,” the young man said eagerly “I’ll take the job.” Then he added, “But I can’t come back until Tuesday.” Janin agreed and the next Tuesday the young man reported for work as scheduled. Janin asked him, “Why is it that you couldn’t come back before Tuesday?” The young man replied, “Because I had to rent a typewriter and learn how to use it.”

This zealous new typist was Herbert Hoover, whose can-get-it-done attitude eventually led him through the doors of White House.

Common observation among college graduates who are attempting a quick entry on the yuppie’s world of work is the eagerness to start big. I once interviewed an applicant who is a fresh graduate of a prestigious university in manila and who so happened recommended by a friend of my boss. Smart, co~cky and oozing with self-confidence –which immediately betrays the kind of attitude– my organization, is looking for in an employee. Interviews on the lower end, and with the department head requesting, went well; until he reached the final interview with me. After 5 minutes, he’s out of my office. He did not get a job-offer from me, hence the department manager who was so eager to hire him came poking at me and asked why. I stood my ground and calmly told him, that his candidate is looking for a supervisory job and is not willing to start as one of the staff of his department. Adding, a fresh college at that, he is already asking for the salary of the Assistant Manager even before I ask how much he is willing to start, which normally comes after a job offer. My colleague went back to his office embarrassed and dumbfounded.

Simply, there is no way up but to begin from below. Unless one has the willingness to learn new skills and knowledge and start where deem suited, one can never climb the corporate ladder. While dreaming big is encouraged, taking short-cuts is abhorred. There are no short-cuts in the corporate life. Greatness begun from humble beginnings. Likewise successful careers begun from entry level jobs. With the right attitude, an opportunity to start right and willingness to learn however small the job is, imo, that is the right path to take.

To hammer this down, i cannot help but quote Orison Swett Marden (American journalist) when he wrote:

The sculptor will chip off all unnecessary material to set free the angel. Nature will chip and pound us remorselessly to bring out our possibilities. She will strip us of wealth, humble our pride, humiliate our ambition, let us down from the ladder of fame, will discipline us in a thousand ways, if she can develop a little character. Everything must give way to that. Wealth is nothing, position is nothing, fame is nothing…

With that, suffice it to say: any entry level jobs or any tasks for that matter, when taken seriously with a heart, can actually mold us into a better career-person and eventually will lead us to success.

Btw,

Herbert Hoover is the 31st President of the United States (1929-1933). Son of a Quaker blacksmith, Herbert Clark Hoover brought to the Presidency an unparalleled re;)tion for public service as an engineer, administrator, and humanitarian. Born in an Iowa village in 1874, he grew up in Oregon. He enrolled at Stanford University when it opened in 1891, graduating as a mining engineer.

To dream anything that you want to dream. That’s the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.-Bernard Edmonds