October 17, 2017

What They Did Before They Were President Of The United States

Since 1789, only 45 people have held the position of President of the United States. This select group of individuals held one of the most powerful positions in the entire world. Being President is one of the most challenging jobs ever. Have you ever wondered about the career paths that led these men to this high level position? What did these individuals do before they were President?

To become President of the United States, you must be at least 35 years old, a natural born citizen of the United States, and a resident of the United States for 14 years. If you meet these requirements, you can declare your candidacy for President. Then you must go through a series of state primaries and caucuses before the general election. After endless campaigning, you must be elected to the office via the Electoral College.

The First Jobs Of Famous Politicians

Once elected President, your job role is that of the Chief Executive of the Federal Government and the Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces. For your hard work, you’ll earn about $400,000 per year and get lots of benefits. It’s a job that’s in the spotlight and can be very stressful for obvious reasons.

There are few professions that can prepare someone for this career path. Many US Presidents came from military, law, business, or farming backgrounds before they served as President. Regardless of their background, everyone has to start somewhere – even the President. It’s mighty interesting to take a look at the resume’s of a US President. It might not look like what you’d expect.

Let’s take a look at the variety of different jobs people help before they were President (the number next to their name indicates which President they were):

1. George Washington – Surveyor
2. John Adams – Schoolmaster
3. Thomas Jefferson – Lawyer
4. James Madison – Lawyer
5. James Monroe – Soldier
7. Andrew Jackson – Courier
16. Abraham Lincoln – Clerk In General Store/Bar
17. Andrew Johnson – Tailor
18. Ulysses S. Grant – Lawyer
20. James Garfield – Janitor
23. Benjamin Harrison – Court Crier
24. Grover Cleveland – Sheriff
26. Theodore Roosevelt – Rancher
27. William Taft – Lawyer
28. Woodrow Wilson – Teacher
29. Warren Harding – Newspaper Editor
30. Calvin Coolidge – Toy Maker
31. Herbert Hoover – Geologist and Mining Engineer
32. Franklin D. Roosevelt – Lawyer
33. Harry Truman – Haberdasherer
35. John F. Kennedy – Journalist
36. Lyndon B. Johnson – Shoe Shiner & Goat Herder
37. Richard Nixon – Chicken Plucker
38. Gerald Ford – Park Ranger
39. James Earl Carter Jr. – Peanut Farmer
40. Ronald Reagan – Circus Worker and Actor
42. Bill Clinton – Grocer and Comic Book Salesman
43. George W. Bush – Landman
44. Barack Obama – Ice Cream Scooper
45. Donald Trump – Rent Collector

Theres are always different pathways to success and the route you choose is up to you. The key takeaway from this list of jobs held before they were President is to show you that everyone starts somewhere. It doesn’t matter what your job is today as long as you are motivated and driven, you can be successful.

How To Be Successful At Everything (Including Your Job!)

To learn more about what it takes to become the President of the United States, IVN.us and USA.gov are excellent resources. We scoured the Internet to find the jobs that these men had before they were President of the United States. Check out our sources to learn even more about the past lives of these powerful individuals:

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