--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you've never been on anything before…" description: "\"If you've never been on anything before, they're not going to take a risk and give you a huge job 90 percent of the time. There are exceptions to that...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77f/christine-woods-67842_anything_if-you-ve-never-been-on-anything-before_1191490.jpg" --- # If you've never been on anything before, they're not going… ![“If you've never been on anything before, they're not going to take a risk and give you a huge job 90 percent of the time. There are exceptions to that. I certainly wasn't an exception to that. I had to pay my dues big time, but I wish somebody would have explained, 'Look, your job is not to get…” quote by Christine Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77f/christine-woods-67842_anything_if-you-ve-never-been-on-anything-before_1191490.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77f/christine-woods-67842_anything_if-you-ve-never-been-on-anything-before_1191490.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77f/christine-woods-67842_anything_if-you-ve-never-been-on-anything-before_1191490.jpg) > “If you've never been on anything before, they're not going to take a risk and give you a huge job 90 percent of the time. There are exceptions to that. I certainly wasn't an exception to that. I had to pay my dues big time, but I wish somebody would have explained, 'Look, your job is not to get work. Your job is to get better.'” Christine Woods ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often lack guidance on focusing on skill growth rather than just landing big jobs. **In simple terms:** Focus on improving, not just getting a job. Key Takeaway Prioritize learning over titles. Themes career growth learning mentorship expectations Mood motivational practical Type career inspirational When to use this quote - job search - performance reviews - career planning Key Concepts skill development career trajectory professional mindset Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to improve your skills daily? - How can mentors better convey growth mindset? A Different Perspective Not all industries value skill over experience equally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes we get more than we asked for because we've settled for less for so long.. When you pay your dues, your bound to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-crownover/sometimes-we-get-more-than-we-asked-for-because-we-ve-settled-for/) [Jay Crownover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-crownover/) > [Nobody's going to step in and dump a lot of money and make it easy. Unless you have a lot of money, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/nobody-s-going-to-step-in-and-dump-a-lot-of-money-and-make-it-easy/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [Beginning writers must appreciate the prerequisites if they hope to become writers. You pay your dues - which takes years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-haley/beginning-writers-must-appreciate-the-prerequisites-if-they-hope-to/) [Alex Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-haley/) > [You have to pay your dues. And what's nice, after booking a lot of new people... I counted the other day. We're in September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-aukerman/you-have-to-pay-your-dues-and-what-s-nice-after-booking-a-lot-of-new/) [Scott Aukerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-aukerman/) > [I think I've been around for a while. But I still have to pay my dues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-sheeran/i-think-i-ve-been-around-for-a-while-but-i-still-have-to-pay-my-dues/) [Ed Sheeran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-sheeran/) > [The idea that we need to “pay our dues” is a lie told to us by people who wanted our efforts and labor on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/the-idea-that-we-need-to-pay-our-dues-is-a-lie-told-to-us-by-people/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [You gotta pay your dues to sing the blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-plum-ucci/you-gotta-pay-your-dues-to-sing-the-blues/) [Carol Plum-Ucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-plum-ucci/) > [You've got to clock the hours and pay your dues. Then eventually, people will come to you. You have to be patient and appreciative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-rohm/you-ve-got-to-clock-the-hours-and-pay-your-dues-then-eventually/) [Elisabeth Rohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-rohm/) > [In this industry, you have to pay your dues. A lot of people come from the indies where they built up a fan background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-cargill/in-this-industry-you-have-to-pay-your-dues-a-lot-of-people-come-from/) [Jade Cargill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-cargill/) > [I've done stuff to pay my dues and that's what actors are supposed to do, because I was a really bad actor when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-taylor/i-ve-done-stuff-to-pay-my-dues-and-that-s-what-actors-are-supposed-to/) [Rachael Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-taylor/) > [In Maine, nobody is required to belong to a union or pay dues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-dill/in-maine-nobody-is-required-to-belong-to-a-union-or-pay-dues/) [Cynthia Dill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-dill/) > [If you put in the work, and you pay your dues, then things are going to come easier to you. You can be confident.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-pena/if-you-put-in-the-work-and-you-pay-your-dues-then-things-are-going-to/) [Julianna Pena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-pena/) > [Freeedom ain't free...Continue to pay dues with Random acts of kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/freeedom-ain-t-free-continue-to-pay-dues-with-random-acts-of-kindness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You pay your dues and work your way up through the system, whatever system there is - something guys in the business today don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-rhodes/you-pay-your-dues-and-work-your-way-up-through-the-system-whatever/) [Dusty Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-rhodes/) > [Any time that you get big titles or head jobs at a young age, there's going to be that factor. 'He didn't pay his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lane-kiffin/any-time-that-you-get-big-titles-or-head-jobs-at-a-young-age-there-s/) [Lane Kiffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lane-kiffin/) ## More by Christine Woods > [I was president of the show choir, I was kind of a geek, whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-woods/i-was-president-of-the-show-choir-i-was-kind-of-a-geek-whatever/) Christine Woods > [I was a musical theater major at the University of Arizona. And I primarily trained with Marsha Bagwell. It was a classical program, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-woods/i-was-a-musical-theater-major-at-the-university-of-arizona-and-i/) Christine Woods > [I didn't really take a lot of any on-camera classes or anything like that. I really just threw all of my energy into auditioning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-woods/i-didn-t-really-take-a-lot-of-any-on-camera-classes-or-anything-like/) Christine Woods Explore all 4 Christine Woods quotes ## More Anything quotes > [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/) [Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/) > [I would give anything to be able to kick a ball with my son or read the kids a bedtime story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-burrow/i-would-give-anything-to-be-able-to-kick-a-ball-with-my-son-or-read/) [Rob Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-burrow/) > [Comfort food is really anything you want at that time. That said, I really love Naple-style pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/comfort-food-is-really-anything-you-want-at-that-time-that-said-i/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [When it really comes down to it, the job you do is more important and is more representative of who you are than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/when-it-really-comes-down-to-it-the-job-you-do-is-more-important-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [I never did drama at school. I did it for one term, when it was compulsory, and I hated it. Tennis was the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-mitchell/i-never-did-drama-at-school-i-did-it-for-one-term-when-it-was/) [Luke Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-mitchell/) > [We live in such a special time when literally anything we can think of is possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-willey/we-live-in-such-a-special-time-when-literally-anything-we-can-think/) [Daniel Willey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-willey/) > [You know, I'm from Baltimore; nobody has anything. When somebody had talent, I was hiring my uncle, my cousin, you know? Getting people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sisqo/you-know-i-m-from-baltimore-nobody-has-anything-when-somebody-had/) [Sisqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sisqo/) > [I said to my agent, 'I want short, sharp, well-paid jobs because I haven't got time for anything else.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-whitelaw/i-said-to-my-agent-i-want-short-sharp-well-paid-jobs-because-i-haven/) [Billie Whitelaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-whitelaw/) > [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [If the Bible is correct, and the Earth is only 6,000 years old, that means there were no dinosaurs, and museum curators have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-shock/if-the-bible-is-correct-and-the-earth-is-only-6-000-years-old-that/) [Ron Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-shock/) > [Don't do anything drastic like getting your eyebrows tattooed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-lee/don-t-do-anything-drastic-like-getting-your-eyebrows-tattooed/) [Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/) > [Whenever you define family as anything other than a man and a woman married together, you have just introduced an ethical nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/whenever-you-define-family-as-anything-other-than-a-man-and-a-woman/) [Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) Browse all 9,437 Anything quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you've never been on anything before, they're not going to take a risk and give you a huge job 90 percent of the time. There are exceptions to that. I certainly wasn't an exception to that. I had to pay my dues big time, but I wish somebody would have explained, 'Look, your job is not to get work. 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