My First Job: Ryan Keel

Written by: Andrew Jason

Photo by Hillary Ehlen

Your first job. For some, it may have been fun and carefree. For others, it may simply have been a way to get some cash in your pocket. Whether you enjoyed your first job or not, it was likely the cornerstone of your career. This Ryan Keel where we got our first glimpse of the real world, learned how to manage money and maybe even decided what we wanted to do when we grew up and got “real jobs.”

In the following sections, join us and we hear from local business owners and leaders who share the lessons they learned at their first jobs. These fun and insightful reflections inspired us to delve deeper into the recruitment process.

Ryan Keel

First Job: Restocking the Taco Bar at Rax Restaurant in Fargo

Current Job: Owner of College Smart

10 Lessons Ryan Keel Learned:

1. There is something very satisfying about earning a paycheck.

2. A fun work environment makes everything better.

3. Sometimes you have to suck it up and wear the alligator mascot costume.

4. I didn’t realize it back then, but sometimes it’s WHO you know more than WHAT you know.

5. Be friendly and kind to coworkers. You never know when you will run into them years down the road.

6. Own up to your mistakes! Don’t accidentally dump roast beef into the spaghetti sauce and then pretend nothing happened.

7. If you have to miss a shift, make sure you have someone to fill in for you. It’s no fun when everyone else has to work harder to make up for a missing team member.

8. When you work on a team, communication is key to things running smoothly.

9. Sometimes you have to miss out on fun things because you need to work…

10. …but it sure is nice to be able to afford the fun things when you DO have time!

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