My First Job: Michael Rawson, managing director

December 17, 2006

My First Job: Michael Rawson, managing director

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Michael Rawson

Current position: Managing director, Sorrento Hotel.

First job: Busboy at the Gasho of Japan restaurant in New York City in 1975. Began at age 15 and worked there for two years to save up for first year at Cornell University.

Pay: $2.75 an hour, plus tips.

How I got the job: A friend's mom was the cashier at the restaurant.

What I learned: That respect and responsibility are earned, not assumed; and to have patience and faith in myself. I worked extremely hard to get the coveted shifts, a feat that wasn't easy working among senior staff members. But I strived to be more attentive, more detailed and faster than my associates to earn their respect and to please customers. When I did not have the seniority for the weekend shifts, the waitresses demanded I be put back on Friday and Saturday nights. Culturally, there was also so much to learn, especially when I was the only Caucasian on staff.

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