My First Job: Doug Hoselton

The Seattle Times Company

July 9, 2007

My First Job: Doug Hoselton

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Doug Hoselton

Now:

Company president

Then:

Natural-gas drilling-crew member

Current position: President of Sandler Sales Institute of Washington

First job: My first job out of high school was to be a "roughneck." That's the term for someone on a oil- or gas-drilling crew. I took the job with a company in Wyoming to earn money for college. I vividly remember asking on my first day when the crew took breaks and ate lunch. After being told there were no breaks, I quickly learned the art of balancing a 500-pound section of pipe with one hand and taking a bite out of a semi-soiled egg-salad sandwich with the other. When working that hard, you're too hungry to notice what you're eating.

What I learned: A lot of people lost their lives or limbs working on drilling platforms. I walked away with partial hearing loss in my right ear. At the age of 18, I learned the value of risking my life was worth $20 a day and what hard labor really felt like. This reinforced my motivation and burning desire to go to college.

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