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I recently heard that Vice President Kamala Harris’s first job was at McDonald’s. She’s spoken about how working there as a teenager taught her the importance of hard work and customer service. This reminded me of my first job, also at McDonald’s, back in the 1970s. At that time, part-time jobs in my hometown were hard to come by. A group of us high school students applied to a McDonald’s that was about to open, and I was thrilled when I got the call that I’d been hired! I worked there for about a year before moving on to a part-time job at Sears, where I stayed throughout college.
I recently retired from my full-time professorship at UMass Dartmouth, a position I proudly held for 38 years. I taught accounting and finance and also coordinated our business internship program. In speaking with hundreds, if not thousands, of students over the years about internships, I often mentioned that even part-time jobs—like working at McDonald’s or in a retail store, such as Walmart or Target—can provide many of the same early career benefits as a formal internship.
You might refer to these roles as "first jobs," "early work experiences," or simply "part-time jobs." Whatever the term, these roles are often initial steps into the workforce, providing foundational skills and experiences that are valuable in any career. With the right mindset, these early roles can be considered career-building opportunities.
In my early teens, I earned money delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, and even selling shellfish. But it wasn’t until I worked at McDonald’s and later Sears Roebuck that I learned valuable lessons, gained useful business knowledge and developed essential skills. Here’s why:
Work Ethic: Fast food jobs require employees to be punctual, reliable, and consistent—traits that are valuable in any career. The same was true at Sears. I was assigned specific shifts, had to be on time, and had a list of tasks to complete when I wasn’t assisting customers.
Customer Service Skills: At McDonald’s, although I wasn’t in a customer-facing role, I was still expected to interact with my coworkers in a service-oriented manner, always thanking them and meeting their needs. At Sears, handling customers during the busy holiday seasons taught me professional patience, effective communication, and problem-solving—all critical skills in customer-facing roles.
Teamwork: Before working at McDonald’s and Sears, I had already learned the value of teamwork through youth and school sports. However, working as part of a team in a busy business environment further developed my ability to collaborate and work well with others—skills that are crucial in most professional settings.
Time Management: Balancing multiple tasks efficiently, especially during peak hours, honed my time management skills. Additionally, working while attending high school and college taught me to set goals and manage my time effectively. These lessons in time management have served me well throughout my career as a professor and CPA, where meeting deadlines is critical.
First jobs also teach adaptability, responsibility, and how to navigate hierarchical structures. Understanding how to work within a corporate structure, follow procedures, and respect managerial decisions can help in navigating similar structures in professional organizations later in life.
Formal internships, while different, offer their own set of benefits. They are typically aligned with a student’s field of study or career aspirations, providing exposure to industry-specific skills and knowledge. This allows interns to build a professional portfolio that directly supports their career goals. Internships also enhance résumés, provide mentorship and professional guidance, and present valuable networking opportunities.
I never had an internship myself—back then, they weren’t as common as they are today. Interestingly, my job at Sears turned out to be a good networking opportunity; I landed my first job as a bank auditor after meeting a vice president of a commercial bank while selling him a suit.
Here’s my point: Both first jobs and formal internships offer invaluable experiences, each contributing differently to a young person’s professional growth. Entry-level jobs provide foundational skills necessary for any career, including work ethic, teamwork, and adaptability. Internships, on the other hand, offer targeted growth, industry connections, and the chance to engage in more complex, career-relevant tasks. Whether you have one or both of these experiences, be sure to leverage them in your professional job interviews and draw on those past experiences as you navigate the world of business.
Author: Michael P. Griffin, CPA, author of MBA Fundamentals Accounting and Finance, was an Associate Teaching Professor of Accounting and Finance at the Charlton College of Business, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
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