Betsy Talbot

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June 30, 2008

Betsy Talbot

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Betsy Talbot, career coach

Now: company president

Then: sales clerk

Current position: President of www.betsytalbot.com, a coaching and training firm for women who own businesses. I work with "solo-preneurs."

First job: At 16 I landed my first job as a sales clerk in a regional department store in New Mexico called Anthony's. I was assigned to work the children's department after school, which is when all the busy mothers would bring their kids.

How I got the job: Since this was pre-Internet, I filled out an application in the store and printed clearly. My pay was $3.35 an hour.

What I learned: Women have a lot on their plate, and the end of the day is when they are often most frazzled. I found that if I learned my inventory (especially hard-to-find sizes), honored their budget requests and made the shopping trip fun for the kids, I could turn a chore into a fun event for the customer and for me.

I've never forgotten those lessons: Know what you have to offer, deliver what your client wants within budget, and try to inject some fun into the process.

Want to tell us about your first job? Fax the above information to Gary Dougherty at 206-382-8879 or e-mail business@seattletimes.com