---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes one has to be humble enough to…"
description: "\"“Sometimes one has to be humble enough to start at the bottom with a minimum-wage job even if you have a college degree. Once you get your foot in the ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8be/ben-carson-3320_careers_sometimes-one-has-to-be-humble-enough-to_1195282.jpg"
---

#  Sometimes one has to be humble enough to start at the…

![“Sometimes one has to be humble enough to start at the bottom with a minimum-wage job even if you have a college degree. Once you get your foot in the door, you can prove your worth and rapidly move up the ladder. If you never get in the door, it is unlikely that you will rise to the top.” quote by Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8be/ben-carson-3320_careers_sometimes-one-has-to-be-humble-enough-to_1195282.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8be/ben-carson-3320_careers_sometimes-one-has-to-be-humble-enough-to_1195282.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8be/ben-carson-3320_careers_sometimes-one-has-to-be-humble-enough-to_1195282.jpg)

> ““Sometimes one has to be humble enough to start at the bottom with a minimum-wage job even if you have a college degree. Once you get your foot in the door, you can prove your worth and rapidly move up the ladder. If you never get in the door, it is unlikely that you will rise to the top.””

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Even with education, starting at a low-level job can open doors; perseverance and performance can lead to advancement.

**In simple terms:** Start low, prove yourself, then rise.

Key Takeaway

Take any entry job seriously.

Themes

career humility ambition

Mood

determined realistic

Type

inspirational practical

When to use this quote

- first job
- internship
- career change

Key Concepts

social mobility skill development networking

Questions to Reflect On

- Are you willing to start at the bottom?
- What skills will you showcase?

A Different Perspective

Not all doors open; systemic barriers exist.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Humble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humble/) [Humble Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humble-start-3562454/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Minimum wage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minimum-wage/) [Rise to the top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rise-to-the-top/) [Start Minimum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-minimum-3562453/) [Wage Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wage-job-1980913/)

## Related quotes

> [The minimum wage is not something that you want to stay on as a permanent basis. For example, if you have a minimum wage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-raese/the-minimum-wage-is-not-something-that-you-want-to-stay-on-as-a/)

[John Raese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-raese/)

> [You can't take a coal miner making $95,000 a year, the only work in these parts where you can support a family without having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ojeda/you-can-t-take-a-coal-miner-making-95-000-a-year-the-only-work-in/)

[Richard Ojeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ojeda/)

> [My mother saved our home with a minimum wage job. But in the 1960s, a minimum wage job would support a family of three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/my-mother-saved-our-home-with-a-minimum-wage-job-but-in-the-1960s-a/)

[Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/)

> [I know how to create and make people feel something. Honestly, if I didn't do this, I would just have some minimum-wage job in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-prinze-jr/i-know-how-to-create-and-make-people-feel-something-honestly-if-i/)

[Freddie Prinze, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-prinze-jr/)

> [Some jobs pay better, some jobs smell better, and some jobs have no business being treated like careers. But work is never the enemy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-rowe/some-jobs-pay-better-some-jobs-smell-better-and-some-jobs-have-no/)

[Mike Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-rowe/)

> [I would ask: Given the nature of free-market capitalism - where the rule is to rise to the top at all costs - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-would-ask-given-the-nature-of-free-market-capitalism-where-the-rule/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [Cause everything I've done - there's no smokescreen. Everything the people have seen me do, they've literally seen me start from the bottom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riff-raff/cause-everything-i-ve-done-there-s-no-smokescreen-everything-the/)

[Riff Raff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riff-raff/)

> [ In short form I'll say it was an approach to the family and to \[author\] Jon Krakauer that then led to me seeming to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/in-short-form-i-ll-say-it-was-an-approach-to-the-family-and-to-author/)

[Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/)

> [We can't wait until elections to fight for what we care about. We can't hope for a benevolent leader who may choose to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/we-can-t-wait-until-elections-to-fight-for-what-we-care-about-we-can/)

[Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/)

> [If we recognize our talents and use them appropriately, and choose a field that uses those talents, we will rise to the top of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-recognize-our-talents-and-use-them-appropriately-and-choose-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I always thought that I was a good swimmer, you know? That in a sink or swim situation I would rise to the top.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hayes/i-always-thought-that-i-was-a-good-swimmer-you-know-that-in-a-sink-or/)

[Rachel Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hayes/)

> [We live in an age of unprecedented opportunity: If you’ve got ambition and smarts, you can rise to the top of your chosen profession,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/we-live-in-an-age-of-unprecedented-opportunity-if-you-ve-got-ambition/)

[Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/)

> [“I am excited to report that I may have gotten a job as an elevator attendant. It's a three-flight elevator, and my primary objective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-am-excited-to-report-that-i-may-have-gotten-a-job-as-an-elevator/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“Invest maximum amount of time into refining your gift and become best at what you were called to do and you will be surprised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/invest-maximum-amount-of-time-into-refining-your-gift-and-become-best/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [This whole phenomenon of the diversion of organizations from their purposes and ideals does not seem very serious when the scum rise to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shea/this-whole-phenomenon-of-the-diversion-of-organizations-from-their/)

[Robert Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shea/)

## More by Ben Carson

> [“We all have choices in the way we react to the words we hear. Our lives and the lives of all those around us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/we-all-have-choices-in-the-way-we-react-to-the-words-we-hear-our/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“to do only if you don’t have a good argument. This is also a good way to keep people at one another’s throats constantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/to-do-only-if-you-don-t-have-a-good-argument-this-is-also-a-good-way/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“Our founding fathers placed so much emphasis on nurturing a well-educated populace because they knew that our system of democracy could not long survive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/our-founding-fathers-placed-so-much-emphasis-on-nurturing-a-well/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“If mediocrity becomes the norm, the quantity of outstanding producers will decline, as will general prosperity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/if-mediocrity-becomes-the-norm-the-quantity-of-outstanding-producers/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“If we are ever going to have adequate funding for health care and other major line items in our budget, however, we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/if-we-are-ever-going-to-have-adequate-funding-for-health-care-and/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“capitalism is an economic system in which individuals or corporate groups have the right to make private decisions and to acquire private property and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/capitalism-is-an-economic-system-in-which-individuals-or-corporate/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“A gigantic, bloated government has to keep itself busy in order to justify its existence; hence, you have more regulations and meddling in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/a-gigantic-bloated-government-has-to-keep-itself-busy-in-order-to/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“Everyone should realize that today the average person lives to be about eighty years of age, the first twenty to twenty-five of which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/everyone-should-realize-that-today-the-average-person-lives-to-be/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“One of America’s most respected legacies is indeed that of rebelling for change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/one-of-america-s-most-respected-legacies-is-indeed-that-of-rebelling/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“The real question is, will we as Americans, accustomed to freedom, continue to sheepishly submit to the purveyors of political correctness without recognizing its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/the-real-question-is-will-we-as-americans-accustomed-to-freedom/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“Many well-meaning Americans have bought into the PC speech code, thinking that by being extra careful not to offend anyone we will achieve unity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/many-well-meaning-americans-have-bought-into-the-pc-speech-code/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“Many in Europe saw an opportunity to escape the oppressive and overbearing governmental systems under which they languished, and these people emigrated in droves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/many-in-europe-saw-an-opportunity-to-escape-the-oppressive-and/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“As long as you have broad representation from many parts of society, representative government works extremely well. And it works even better when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/as-long-as-you-have-broad-representation-from-many-parts-of-society/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“The Constitution is quite clear that the government has the right to tax in order to support its programs, but there is nothing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/the-constitution-is-quite-clear-that-the-government-has-the-right-to/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [“Proverbs 11:9: Evil words destroy one’s friends; wise discernment rescues the godly. Proverbs 11:12: It is foolish to belittle a neighbor; a person with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/proverbs-11-9-evil-words-destroy-one-s-friends-wise-discernment/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

[Explore all 131 Ben Carson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

## More Careers quotes

> [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/)

[Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/)

> [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/)

[Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/)

> [The only thing I try to watch carefully is that I never lose the love for the instrument. That's also why I decided against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-frahm/the-only-thing-i-try-to-watch-carefully-is-that-i-never-lose-the-love/)

[Nils Frahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nils-frahm/)

> [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/)

[Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/)

[Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/)

> [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/)

[Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/)

> [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/)

[Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/)

> [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/)

[Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/)

> [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/)

[Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/)

> [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/)

[Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/)

> [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/)

[Robbin Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbin-crosby/)

> [There is so much temptation to hold on to my career even more now. To try to micromanage and dictate every little aspect. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/there-is-so-much-temptation-to-hold-on-to-my-career-even-more-now-to/)

[Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/)

> [Everything I've been through, everything I'm about to go through in my career and my life, if my family wasn't with me and didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-malone/everything-i-ve-been-through-everything-i-m-about-to-go-through-in-my/)

[Karl Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-malone/)

> [An image has stuck for most of my career and it isn't flattering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-fowler/an-image-has-stuck-for-most-of-my-career-and-it-isn-t-flattering/)

[Robbie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-fowler/)

[Browse all 6,154 Careers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Sometimes one has to be humble enough to start at the bottom with a minimum-wage job even if you have a college degree. Once you get your foot in the door, you can prove your worth and rapidly move up the ladder. If you never get in the door, it is unlikely that you will rise to the top.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ben Carson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/sometimes-one-has-to-be-humble-enough-to-start-at-the-bottom-with-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Careers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/sometimes-one-has-to-be-humble-enough-to-start-at-the-bottom-with-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8be/ben-carson-3320_careers_sometimes-one-has-to-be-humble-enough-to_1195282.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8be/ben-carson-3320_careers_sometimes-one-has-to-be-humble-enough-to_1195282.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8be/ben-carson-3320_careers_sometimes-one-has-to-be-humble-enough-to_1195282.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sometimes one has to be humble enough to start at the bottom with a minimum-wage job even if you have a…” — Ben Carson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ben Carson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Sometimes one has to be humble...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/sometimes-one-has-to-be-humble-enough-to-start-at-the-bottom-with-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/sometimes-one-has-to-be-humble-enough-to-start-at-the-bottom-with-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
