KEY POINTS:
Nick Montague-Brown
Entrepreneur and owner of Outdoor Action
What was your first job?
My first job was working as a building labourer in the United Kingdom. It was 1992, I was 16 years old and my mum said it was school or a job. After this job, I decided to return to education. I was paid 30 a day - 22.50 after tax. I stayed three months.
Did you enjoy the job?
It was a shock after leaving school to go to a 10-hour working day, six days a week.
What parts of the job didn't you like?
Getting up at 5am, travelling 160km to work then travelling 160km to get home again and getting home at 7pm.
What did you learn?
Not to make jokes at the boss's expense, but also that if you want to achieve anything you have to work hard, be noticed.
What was your boss like?
Hard but they were hard times.
Why did you leave?
I was fired for making a joke about the boss.
Any advice for someone starting out?
Work hard at whatever you do and set goals, each time you reach a goal set another one and work towards it. And, most of all, respect your boss.
Is it harder for people entering the job market these days?
No, it is much easier, there were few jobs around in 1992 and there was competition for those.
The job market has been easy times for quite a while now and this could well change, so it makes sense to make sure you are the one working the hardest.
