Steve Shimkus

When did you join the YJC Board?

2011

Why did you join the YJC Board?

I attended a couple of YJC board meetings to get a sense for the Youth Job Center’s mission and the culture of the Board of Directors, and found that the YJC’s mission of helping teenagers and young adults get started in the workforce really resonated with me, and the Board of Directors was extremely engaged and supportive of the organization. Many people have helped me along the way during my career and the YJC allows me to pay them back.

What is your occupation?

Vice President, HUB International

What was your first job?

I had a paper route in 1st grade; sold newspapers from 6-8 a.m. at local train station Monday through Saturday in 5th and 6th grades; caddied from ages 13-18; and was a sales rep and warehouse expeditor for a local retail store once I turned 16.

What did you learn from your first job?

There is tremendous confidence and internal pride in being able to balance working (and earning some money) while going to school. That confidence has paid off in future jobs and life challenges because I knew I could do it.

It’s important to be reliable. Once people know they can depend on you, they will depend on you. If you let them down, even one time, they might not depend on you in the future, and when they need to choose which employee(s) they want to keep (for example, after the retail holiday season), they might not pick you.

Use this as an opportunity to grow up and pay attention. During my first retail job, I learned a lot about growing up from two co-workers who were 4 years older than me. Neither person was my boss, but they were positive role models who pulled me aside and set me straight if I acted like a kid instead of a young adult. I don’t know if either of them will ever really know what they did to help me become the person I am today.