• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Leadership

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Buzz Aldrin Recall Their #FirstSevenJobs

By
Melissa Chan
Melissa Chan
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Melissa Chan
Melissa Chan
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 7, 2016, 3:49 PM ET
-- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE -- TO GO
-- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE -- TO GO WITH AFP STORIES : SPACE-MOON-ANNIVERSARY (FILES) -- Picture taken on July 20, 1969 shows astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, walking on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA). Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera. With one small step off a ladder, commander of the Apollo 11 mission Neil Armstrong of the US became the first human to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969, before the eyes of hundreds of millions of awed television viewers worldwide. With that step, he placed mankind's first footprint on an extraterrestrial world and gained instant hero status. AFP PHOTO / NASA (Photo credit should read NASA/AFP/Getty Images)AFP AFP/Getty Images

It started with a question, tweeted Aug. 4 by a Twitter user named @mariancall: “What were your first 7 jobs?”

It’s simple enough, and she went first: “Babysitting, janitorial, slinging coffee, yard work, writing radio news, voice-overs, data entry/secretarial.” Fast forward a few days and it rocketed into a hashtag (#firstsevenjobs) that began to trend (also see #first7jobs), finding a much larger audience and scooping up some celebrities in the process, like talk-show host Stephen Colbert and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. Oh, and Buzz Aldrin.

A lot of people joked about internships and even futuristic endeavors (“President of Mars”). Others who joined include ‘Hamilton’ creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, singers Christina Perri and Regina Spektor, comedian W. Kamau Bell and even Monica Lewinsky:

#firstsevenjobs construction, bus boy, cafeteria server, library data entry, futon frame maker, futon salesman, waiter

— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) August 7, 2016

#firstsevenjobs
Dish washer
Camp counselor
Fighter pilot
Astronaut
Commandant
Speaker
Author

Now Global Space Statesman!

— Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) August 7, 2016

#first7jobs
Slushee machine at my aunt's store
Intern for WNET
McD's…register
Data entry
Drawing 1 model
Community paper writer
Teacher

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) August 7, 2016

Expanding on this briefly, he replied to a Twitter user who remarked about the “Drawing 1 model” gig, writing “best paying job at Wesleyan. Got nekkid for 14 bucks an hour, real tasteful like.”

#firstsevenjobs
art dealer (age 8)
lemonade stand
toy-o-rama
knot shop (LA)
knot shop (OR)@WhiteHouse @ThePentagon

— Monica Lewinsky (she/her) (@MonicaLewinsky) August 6, 2016

1. babysitter
2. shampoo girl
3. waitress
4. bartender
5. music video producer
6. waitress
7. recording artist #firstsevenjobs

— christina perri (@christinaperri) August 7, 2016

Babysitter
Med office temp
Piano tech's assist
Office assist
Page turner
Butterfly farm
Social worker assist(💔 & ❤️) https://t.co/EtiArqxdqL

— Regina Spektor (@respektor) August 6, 2016

#firstsevenjobs
Babysitter
ESL teacher in Beijing
Copy editor
Waitress
Script reader
Bartender
Chinese tutor

— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) August 7, 2016

#firstsevenjobs
Newspaper stand
Janitor, my high school
college work study
Michael Jordan retail store
Condom Shop
Ben & Jerry's
Video Store

— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) August 7, 2016

This article originally appeared on Time.com

About the Authors
By Melissa Chan
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Kevinn O'Leary showing off his watches
SuccessShark Tank
Kevin O’Leary became a millionaire from a $4.2 billion deal—but said it was ‘very anticlimactic’
By Sydney LakeMarch 22, 2026
8 minutes ago
SuccessThe Interview Playbook
Boss uses a recruiter-approved coffee cup test in every interview—and he won’t hire anyone who fails it
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMarch 22, 2026
22 minutes ago
Warren Buffett
SuccessBillionaires
Warren Buffett admits his original philanthropic  plans were not ‘feasible’—he’s instead left his three kids $500 million a year to give away
By Preston ForeMarch 22, 2026
27 minutes ago
SuccessCareers
Ironman’s CEO started out unloading trucks when he was 13. He warns Gen Z networking is ‘dangerous’—and to do this instead
By Preston ForeMarch 22, 2026
5 hours ago
gen z
CommentaryGen Z
Gen Z is using ChatGPT to practice salary negotiations and tough conversations before they happen
By Phillip MillerMarch 22, 2026
6 hours ago
world
CommentaryCapitalism
Our economy has been living in an Adam Smith world since 1776. Something different is coming
By Ravi ChaudhryMarch 22, 2026
6 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.