--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A fast food job, for most people, should…" description: "\"A fast food job, for most people, should be an entry level position. If you see no path for advancement beyond that, it's time to take a real fast look..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/william-j-bernstein-17198_advancement_a-fast-food-job-for-most-people-should-b_2649032.png" --- # A fast food job, for most people, should be an entry level… ![“A fast food job, for most people, should be an entry level position. If you see no path for advancement beyond that, it's time to take a real fast look at your human capital and learn a skill that will make you more money.” quote by William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/william-j-bernstein-17198_advancement_a-fast-food-job-for-most-people-should-b_2649032.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/william-j-bernstein-17198_advancement_a-fast-food-job-for-most-people-should-b_2649032.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/william-j-bernstein-17198_advancement_a-fast-food-job-for-most-people-should-b_2649032.png) > “A fast food job, for most people, should be an entry level position. If you see no path for advancement beyond that, it's time to take a real fast look at your human capital and learn a skill that will make you more money.” [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages viewing a low‑skill job as a signal to invest in education and higher‑earning abilities. **In simple terms:** Use a dead‑end job as a cue to learn higher‑pay skills. Key Takeaway Invest in skill development for better earnings. Themes career growth skill acquisition human capital Mood practical motivational Type advisory inspirational When to use this quote - job stagnation - career planning - financial advice Key Concepts education economics self‑improvement Questions to Reflect On - What skill will most increase your income? - How can you transition without losing income? A Different Perspective Changing fields can be risky and costly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advancement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advancement/) [Fast food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fast-food/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills/) ## Related quotes > [I'm just working here till a good fast-food job opens up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-m-just-working-here-till-a-good-fast-food-job-opens-up/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [The only entry level position on a movie is director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hanks/the-only-entry-level-position-on-a-movie-is-director/) [Colin Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hanks/) > [The minimum wage is mostly an entry-level wage for young people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/the-minimum-wage-is-mostly-an-entry-level-wage-for-young-people/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [I'm a filmmaker who decided to go to culinary school. All I picked up was the fact if I didn't understand what was going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alton-brown/i-m-a-filmmaker-who-decided-to-go-to-culinary-school-all-i-picked-up/) [Alton Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alton-brown/) > [If the world kept a journal, many of the entries would be conversations concerning the advancement of scientific knowledge and its importance to humanity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flavia-weedn/if-the-world-kept-a-journal-many-of-the-entries-would-be/) [Flavia Weedn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flavia-weedn/) > [I spent the first 18 years of my career at AT&T, and it was a wonderful place that kept me moving all the time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-schulman/i-spent-the-first-18-years-of-my-career-at-at-t-and-it-was-a/) [Dan Schulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-schulman/) > [Wal-Mart creates entry level jobs for people who don't have a lot of skills; those jobs don't pay a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/wal-mart-creates-entry-level-jobs-for-people-who-don-t-have-a-lot-of/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [I got my transferrable skills from working at entry-level, gauging what I wanted from my career, and making sure I had what it took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jameela-jamil/i-got-my-transferrable-skills-from-working-at-entry-level-gauging/) [Jameela Jamil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jameela-jamil/) > [“Steve is nice but he’s strictly entry level.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mitchell/steve-is-nice-but-he-s-strictly-entry-level/) Max Mitchell > [Good luck finding shameful entry-level employment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-luck-finding-shameful-entry-level-employment/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One by one, all of my college buddies had taken these nothing-special entry-level jobs, pushing papers for $18,000 or $21,000 a year (and hating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-rancic/one-by-one-all-of-my-college-buddies-had-taken-these-nothing-special/) [Bill Rancic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-rancic/) > [I think sometimes in the art world theres an implication that you need an entry-level education to walk through the door of a gallery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grayson-perry/i-think-sometimes-in-the-art-world-theres-an-implication-that-you/) [Grayson Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grayson-perry/) > [Dear Job Application, if this is an entry level position, how am I supposed to have previous experience...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-job-application-if-this-is-an-entry-level-position-how-am-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Virtual reality, to me, seems to have a number of different tiers. Entry-level-tier VR is this experience: on a phone, some simple head-tracking, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deadmau5/virtual-reality-to-me-seems-to-have-a-number-of-different-tiers-entry/) Deadmau5 > [Finally, I told them I'd drop out of the management program if they'd give me an entry-level job in the newsroom for union wages,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-mitchell/finally-i-told-them-i-d-drop-out-of-the-management-program-if-they-d/) [Andrea Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-mitchell/) ## More by William J. Bernstein > [“Although the Romans knew Chinese silk, they knew not China. They believed that silk grew directly on the mulberry tree, not realizing that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/although-the-romans-knew-chinese-silk-they-knew-not-china-they/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [It's human nature to find patterns where there are none and to find skill where luck is a more likely explanation (particularly if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/it-s-human-nature-to-find-patterns-where-there-are-none-and-to-find/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [The key thing about any fund is to make sure its expenses are low. You know, if you look at the funds in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/the-key-thing-about-any-fund-is-to-make-sure-its-expenses-are-low-you/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [There are two kinds of investors, be thay large or small: those who don't know where the market is headed, and those who don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/there-are-two-kinds-of-investors-be-thay-large-or-small-those-who-don/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [A decade ago, I really did believe that the average investor could do it himself. I was wrong. I've come to the sad conclusion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/a-decade-ago-i-really-did-believe-that-the-average-investor-could-do/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [Wall Street is littered with the bones of those who knew just what to do, but could not bring themselves to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/wall-street-is-littered-with-the-bones-of-those-who-knew-just-what-to/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [The key aspect of an index fund is that many of them, not all of them, but many of them are extremely cheap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/the-key-aspect-of-an-index-fund-is-that-many-of-them-not-all-of-them/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [If your broker or investment advisor is not familiar with the concept of standard deviation of returns, get a new one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/if-your-broker-or-investment-advisor-is-not-familiar-with-the-concept/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [While it is probably a poor idea to own actively managed funds in general, it is truly a terrible idea to own them in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/while-it-is-probably-a-poor-idea-to-own-actively-managed-funds-in/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [It's bad enough that you have to take market risk. Only a fool takes on the additional risk of doing yet more damage by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/it-s-bad-enough-that-you-have-to-take-market-risk-only-a-fool-takes/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [You have to ask yourself, what are the things that matter to you most in your life? If you have to have a latte…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/you-have-to-ask-yourself-what-are-the-things-that-matter-to-you-most/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [The definition of investment is the deferring ofpresent consumption for future consumption. So, you dohave to be willing to defer. And there are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/the-definition-of-investment-is-the-deferring-ofpresent-consumption/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [You have to understand what market history looks like. What market history tells you is that the very, very best investments are made when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/you-have-to-understand-what-market-history-looks-like-what-market/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [The reason that 'guru' is such a popular word is because 'charlatan' is so hard to spell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/the-reason-that-guru-is-such-a-popular-word-is-because-charlatan-is/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) > [When it comes to fund managers and market strategists, this year's hero usually turns into next year's zero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/when-it-comes-to-fund-managers-and-market-strategists-this-year-s/) [William J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) [Explore all 33 William J. Bernstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/) ## More Advancement quotes > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [They either attach themselves to God's will, which results in their continuous progress, improvement and advancement, or they oppose God's will, are justly subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-palamas/they-either-attach-themselves-to-god-s-will-which-results-in-their/) [Gregory Palamas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-palamas/) > [I am far from any intention to limit curiosity, or confine the labours of learning to arts of immediate and necessary use. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-am-far-from-any-intention-to-limit-curiosity-or-confine-the-labours/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [We have won the time lottery of the last 4 billion years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/we-have-won-the-time-lottery-of-the-last-4-billion-years/) [Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/) > [“Creativity is key to productivity and prosperity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/creativity-is-key-to-productivity-and-prosperity/) [Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/) > [No one can stop the advancement of a country wheretalent is recognized properly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/no-one-can-stop-the-advancement-of-a-country-wheretalent-is/) Mak\_786 > [Each restorational advancement of the Army of the Lord has established denominational forts that are given responsibility to maintain the purity and power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hamon/each-restorational-advancement-of-the-army-of-the-lord-has/) [Bill Hamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hamon/) > [Setting is preliminary to brighter rising; decay is a process of advancement; death is the condition of higher and more fruitful life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/setting-is-preliminary-to-brighter-rising-decay-is-a-process-of/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [Virtually every advancement made by our species since civilization first peeked out of its nest of stone has been initiated by lone individuals, mavericks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/virtually-every-advancement-made-by-our-species-since-civilization/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Certainly, none of us enjoy going through struggles, but you have to understand that your struggle may be an opportunity for advancement and promotion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/certainly-none-of-us-enjoy-going-through-struggles-but-you-have-to/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [“Always work towards a dream or you'll always dream of working elsewhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/always-work-towards-a-dream-or-you-ll-always-dream-of-working/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Those who are successfully to lead their fellow-men, should have once possessed the nobler feelings. We have all known individuals whose magnanimity was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/those-who-are-successfully-to-lead-their-fellow-men-should-have-once/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) > [Genetic engineering is a result of science advancement, so I don't think that in itself is bad. If used wisely, genetics can be beneficial,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideo-kojima/genetic-engineering-is-a-result-of-science-advancement-so-i-don-t/) [Hideo Kojima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideo-kojima/) > [ZIPPING THROUGH DIMENSIONS WITH INTENTIONS OF ADVANCEMENT](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeileon/zipping-through-dimensions-with-intentions-of-advancement/) [AEILEON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeileon/) > [Our civilization is experiencing unprecedented changes across many realms, largely due to the rapid advancement of information technology. The ability to code and understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/our-civilization-is-experiencing-unprecedented-changes-across-many/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) [Browse all 423 Advancement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advancement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A fast food job, for most people, should be an entry level position. If you see no path for advancement beyond that, it's time to take a real fast look at your human capital and learn a skill that will make you more money.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William J. Bernstein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/a-fast-food-job-for-most-people-should-be-an-entry-level-position-if/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advancement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/a-fast-food-job-for-most-people-should-be-an-entry-level-position-if/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/william-j-bernstein-17198_advancement_a-fast-food-job-for-most-people-should-b_2649032.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/william-j-bernstein-17198_advancement_a-fast-food-job-for-most-people-should-b_2649032.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/william-j-bernstein-17198_advancement_a-fast-food-job-for-most-people-should-b_2649032.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A fast food job, for most people, should be an entry level position. If you see no path for advancement…” — William J. Bernstein", "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": "William J. Bernstein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bernstein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A fast food job, for most...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/a-fast-food-job-for-most-people-should-be-an-entry-level-position-if/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bernstein/a-fast-food-job-for-most-people-should-be-an-entry-level-position-if/#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 } } ] } ```