* Michael Dell, the dishwasher
　　Michael Dell, founder and chairman of Dell Computer Corp., was a dishwasher at a Chinese restaurant earning $2.30 an hour. He is grateful for his early experience: “The best part was the wisdom of the restaurant owner, which I could capture if I came to work a little early. He took great pride in his work and cared about every customer who came through his door.”

* 洗碗工迈克尔·戴尔
　　戴尔电脑公司的创始人兼总裁迈克尔·戴尔曾在一家中餐馆当过洗碗工，时薪仅2.3美元。他对早期的这份工作经历心存感激：“我最喜欢的是餐馆老板的智慧——只要我早上班一会儿，就能学习他的经营之道。他为自己的工作十分自豪，并且关心每一位来到店里的顾客。”

* Oprah Winfrey, the young reporter
　　“Talk show queen” Oprah Winfrey was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Her grandmother taught her to read before the age of three and took her to the local church, where she was nicknamed “The Preacher” for her ability to recite Bible verses. Winfrey was self-helping her way to the top. Arriving at a radio station to collect a watch she had won through a contest, a 16-year-old Winfrey read for producers and secured herself a job as an on-air reporter earning $100 per week.

* 少年广播员奥普拉·温弗瑞
　　“脱口秀女王”奥普拉·温弗瑞出生在密西西比州的科西阿斯科。她不到三岁的时候，奶奶就教她读书，还带她去当地的教堂。在那里她被大家昵称为“传教士”，因为她能背诵《圣经》的许多章节。温弗瑞靠着自立自强成为了一位杰出的人。16岁那年，温弗瑞去一个电台领取自己之前在比赛中获得的手表。她为制片人朗诵了一段，便争取到了一份电台广播员的工作，每周的报酬是100美元。

* Teri Hatcher, the Cheerleader
　　American actress Teri Hatcher played Bond Girl Paris Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997, and Susan Mayer on the television series Desperate Housewives in 2005, which won her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. One of her early jobs (in 1984) was as a cheerleader with the San Francisco 49ers.

* 拉拉队队员泰瑞·海切尔
　　美国女影星泰瑞·海切尔曾在1997年的《明日帝国》中扮演过邦德女郎帕里斯·卡弗，还在2005年饰演过电视剧《绝望主妇》中的苏姗·迈耶——后者为她赢得了“金球奖最佳女演员”的荣誉。她早期的工作之一(1984年)是旧金山49人职业拉拉队的队员。

* Sylvester Stallone, the lion cage cleaner
　　Sylvester Stallone, always the tough guy, was once employed as a lion cage cleaner. At 15, his classmates voted him the one “most likely to end up in the electric chair.”In the 1960s, Stallone attended the University of Miami but soon he dropped out and began his pursuing of acting career. He became one of the biggest box office draws in the world from the 1970s to the 1990s, as well as an icon of machismo and Hollywood action heroism. He has played two characters that have become a part of the American cultural lexicon： Rocky Balboa, the boxer who overcame all odds to fight for love and glory, and John Rambo, a brave soldier who specialized in violent rescue and revenge missions.

* 狮笼打扫员西尔维斯特·史泰龙
　　永远的硬汉西尔维斯特·史泰龙曾受雇为狮笼打扫员。他15岁的时候曾被同学们推选为“最有可能在电椅上结束生命的人”。20世纪60年代，史泰龙入读迈阿密大学，但很快他就辍学，转而开始了他对演艺生涯的追求。从20世纪的70年代到90年代，他一直是全球最具票房号召力的影星之一，并成了男子气概和好莱坞动作片中英雄主义的代表。他曾扮演的两个人物形象已成了美国文化词汇的一部分，这两个人物分别是：克服重重阻碍、为爱和荣誉而战的拳击手洛基·巴尔博和擅长暴力救援和执行复仇任务的勇敢士兵约翰·兰博。

* Dan Brown, the High School Teacher
　　Dan Brown, born June 22, 1964, is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code and the 2000 bestselling novel, Angels & Demons. His novels have been translated into more than 40 languages. But prior to papering the world many times over with his The Da Vinci Code, Brown sculpted young minds as a high school English teacher.

* 高中教师丹·布朗
　　丹·布朗生于1964年6月22日，是美国惊悚小说作家，以其2003年的畅销小说《达芬奇密码》和2000年畅销小说《天使与魔鬼》而闻名。他的小说已被翻译成40多种语言。然而在《达芬奇密码》无数次铺天盖地席卷全球之前，布朗只是位教书育人的高中英语教师。

* Jennifer Lopez, the Legal Assistant
　　Jennifer Lynn Lopez, born July 24, 1969, is an American Golden Globe-nominated actress, Grammy Award-nominated singer, record producer, dancer, fashion designer and television producer. She is the richest person of Latin American descent in Hollywood according to Forbes. Yet, long before Jennifer Lopez sang, danced and acted her way to superstardom, she worked at a law office as a legal assistant. From the age of 19, she had already paid singing and dancing lessons for herself.

* 律师助理詹妮弗·洛佩兹
　　詹妮弗·琳恩洛·佩兹生于1969年7月24日，她是美国金球奖提名演员、格莱美提名歌手、唱片制作人、舞蹈演员、服装设计师和电视制片人。据《财富》报道，她是好莱坞最富有的拉美裔影星。然而，早在詹妮弗·洛佩兹唱歌、跳舞、演戏成为超级巨星前，她在一家法律事务当律师助理。从19岁起，她就已经自己挣钱支付唱歌和舞蹈课程的费用了。

* Others
　　Bill Gates was a congressional page at the Washington state Capitol.
　　William Watkins, current CEO of Seagate Technology, worked the night shift at a mental hospital restraining people who got out of control.
　　American actress Demi Moore worked for a debt collection agency.
　　Madonna worked behind the counter at Dunkin' Donuts.
　　Brad Pitt moved refrigerators.
　　Author Stephen King worked as a janitor, cleaning the girls' locker room when he became inspired to write the novel Carrie.

* 其他名人
　　比尔·盖茨曾是美国华盛顿州国会的侍从官。
　　美国希捷科技公司(编者注：著名硬盘制造商)的现任CEO威廉·沃特金斯曾在一家精神病院值夜班，负责管制失控的病人。

　　美国女演员黛米·摩尔曾就职于一家讨债公司。
　　麦当娜曾做过唐恩都乐咖啡馆的店员。

　　布拉德·皮特当过冰箱搬运工。
　　作家史蒂芬·金做过看门人。就在打扫女更衣室时，他突发灵感写下了小说《魔女嘉莉》。