First Job Series: Josh Barr

First Job: Office Assistant | Coldwell Banker McGrew Real Estate 

Age 16 | Minimum wage

Responsibilities:

“I helped realtors in the office with day-to-day tasks such as taking pictures, measuring rooms and data entry.”

Why did you choose this as your first job?

“It was a program through my high school where I would finish the last two hours of my school day at work. It was an opportunity to experience life in a real estate office because at that point I thought I wanted to be a Realtor.”

What memory pops into your head about your first job?

“I learned quickly that I wasn’t the type of person to be stuck in an office doing clerical work. I really enjoyed being out working with people.”

What life lesson did you learn from this job?

“It was my first taste of sales even though I didn’t do any selling myself. The life lesson for me was that being a good salesperson was a great path toward a lucrative career, even if you didn’t have a college degree.”

What advice would you give to a kid starting their first job?

“Do something fun that you enjoy because at this point in your life you have the freedom of not having kids or a mortgage. Take it as an opportunity to venture into an industry or job you think you might want to make a career out of so you can start figuring out what you like and don’t like about different jobs.”