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What important lessons or skills did you learn in your first job that have been instrumental in your success?
You have to come to work every day fully prepared to do what you were hired for.

Which of those lessons, and how, carried into subsequent jobs after your first?
I have never looked for job security; rather I have been confident that if I do my job well I will have plenty of employment opportunities.

Do you currently work in the same field as you did in your first job?
Very indirectly. As a political commentator on television I am once again, after almost 4 decades, back in front of a camera, where I am required to deliver my performance at a specific moment when the red light of that camera turns on.

What people or outside factors affected your work ethic or motivated you the most to succeed?
My parents, their friends and almost all of my friends when I was growing up all worked hard. I took it for granted that hard work was expected from everyone, even people who were well-off.

What advice would you give to someone starting his or her first job?
Don't figure out how to get by, figure out how to get ahead. Think of the extra value you can bring to your job, even beyond what you were hired to do.

What do you find most rewarding about your position today?
I am doing work that I am genuinely interested in. I have fun every day and I look forward to going to work.