My First Job: Howard George, chief executive and founder

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July 16, 2006

My First Job: Howard George, chief executive and founder

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Howard George

Current position: Chief executive and founder, Receivables Performance Management (RPM), a Bothell-based accounts-receivables management company.

First job: Picking berries, delivering newspapers and working at the Federal Way Skating Rink, doing "whatever needed doing," from stocking skates and cleaning everything from floors to toilets, to taking skate fees, maintaining order and bouncing out troublemakers, and helping out when he was asked or saw something that needed doing.

Pay: $3.75 an hour.

How I got the job: I played roller hockey and I was the captain of the roller-hockey team, which was unusual looking back, since I was the smallest guy there. But I was a really hard worker. My friend's parents owned the rink, so you could say I networked my way to the top.

What I learned: Three things. First, someone can give you a chance, but it's up to you to make the most of it. Second, an employer is more interested in good results than in explanations; and third, while formal education is important, not everyone has the foresight or fortune to pursue that, but everyone has the ability to continue to focus on developing their weakest skills. And now, as the employer, I seek team members who take responsibility for their decisions, and actively apply what they've learned to get the results they want.

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