Salesmanship Corner By Zig Ziglar - Work Ethic

One of my pet peeves is hearing movie stars or millionaire athletes warn young people to get an education or end up "flipping hamburgers." The bottom line is that many young people opt to do nothing. Even worse, others deal drugs or live off their parents or the "system" instead of doing honest work.

Think about it. It's infinitely better to "flip hamburgers" and make minimum wage than to make "maximum wage" dealing drugs or getting involved in other forms of crime. As a society, we need to rediscover the value of honest work in the character formation of our young people. Instead of disparaging remarks about "flipping hamburgers," we need to become cheerleaders for our hard-working young people who are willing to do whatever it takes to reach their goals.

Our company does a lot of training in the fast-food industry. I personally know many young men and women who have earned their educations as a direct result of working in the fast-food industry. They have either earned enough money for college through working or have been awarded scholarships by their fast-food employers. Surely no thinking person would look down on any job with such obvious social value.

The opportunities for advancement within the fast-food industry are significant. Young people can move up to management rather quickly. In addition, many of them learn responsibility, social skills and how to function as a team player. They also learn how to manage money and, equally important, to respect money. They learn discipline, manners, enthusiasm and dependability. Best of all, according to USA Today, students who work up to twenty hours each week do better academically than their non-working peers.

All of these are benefits. Let's not criticize any job that is honest and can lead to even better things. Buy this idea and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 26 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.