Before I was building communities in law…I was washing pots in a pub kitchen.

When I was featured in LinkedIn News UK, I spoke about my very first summer job. I was a pot wash at the local pub.

Not glamorous, but the lessons I learned have stayed with me ever since:

• Time management and organisation, keeping pace during the busiest dinner rushes

• Initiative and productivity, spotting what needed doing without being asked

• Resilience, doing the tough, often thankless jobs with pride

These are the same foundations I see in leaders today. Skills you pick up early on can set the tone for how you show up in your professional life.

My advice if you are at the start of your career, or supporting someone who is:

• Don’t overlook your first job, the skills you build are more valuable than you think

• Focus on attitude as much as ability, it is often what gets noticed first (AIE – Attitude Is Everything)

• Your first job is not just a stepping stone, it is often where you build the habits and mindset that shape your career

For me, it all started with dirty dishes. For you, it might be something else. Wherever it begins, use it as fuel to keep moving forward and make it happen.

#CareerAdvice #LegalCommunity #FutureOfWork #TransferableSkills #AttitudeIsEverything