My First Job: Elaine McGinnis, caregiving marketing, employee recruitment and retention

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June 11, 2006

My First Job: Elaine McGinnis, caregiving marketing, employee recruitment and retention

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Elaine McGinnis

Current position: Caregiving marketing, employee recruitment and retention for Home Care Associates, a division of Jewish Family Services.

First job: At 16, I was eager to earn enough money to buy a car. My inclination was to work behind the counter at the local Dunkin' Donuts. My dad, however, suggested I become an Avon Lady. I wasn't old enough to work for the company directly, so I operated under my mom's name until I was 18. At the end of the first summer, I had earned enough money ($450!) to buy my car: a 1964 Dodge Dart with a push-button transmission.

What I learned: Poise and confidence — two things I sorely lacked as a shy teenager. Speaking clearly and convincingly to get myself through the door. Looking strangers straight in the eye. Courage to go to the next house even after several doors in a row had been slammed in my face. Organization because in this job I was self-employed, with no boss to supervise me. And best of all, the maturity that comes from succeeding at a job requiring me to learn all of the above skills in a real-life setting.

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