Get All Access for $5/mo

Business Leaders Reveal Their #FirstSevenJobs on Twitter For some, the bottom of the corporate ladder is a series of odd-job rungs.

By Lydia Belanger

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Hero Images | Getty Images

Richard Branson famously sold Christmas trees and magazines in his teen years before founding the Virgin Group and making his billions. Elon Musk coded his own video game at age 12. Warren Buffett peddled chewing gum door to door when he was only 6.

Everyone has to start somewhere.

Last Thursday, a Twitter user named @mariancall asked her followers, "What were your first seven jobs?" She was soon inundated with mentions, as several celebrities, from Buzz Aldrin to Stephen Colbert, shared their first gigs. Aldrin, one of the first two men to set foot on the moon, started as a dishwasher. Colbert, who's hosted two eponymous talk shows, was once a busboy and even a futon salesman. Many business executives and entrepreneurs also tweeted their career trajectories.

Related: The Wild and Crazy Career Paths of 5 Self-Made Billionaires (Infographic)

If you dream of wild success but are slogging away to save up in the interim, let the early resumes of these founders and CEOs inspire you.

Lydia Belanger is a former associate editor at Entrepreneur. Follow her on Twitter: @LydiaBelanger.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.

Branding

You Don't Need Thousands to Turn Your Business Idea Into Reality — Here's How I Did It on a College-Kid Budget

From creating the packaging designs online by myself to learning how to take professional product photos, I found ways to launch a company on a low budget. Here's how you can do it, too.

Marketing

Many Brands Risk Being Left Behind By Overlooking These Critical Advertising Steps

Learn how to use smart marketing tools and AI to optimize online advertising and maximize ad spend in today's competitive landscape.