• First jobs are usually a mixed bag; they can be disastrous failures, great learning experiences, or somewhere in between.
• That's the case even for people who go on to become the president of the United States.
• American presidents took on some memorable first roles across history.
The road to the White House isn't always glamorous.
Sure, most US presidents throughout our history have had experience in law,
But many future presidents had rather unconventional first gigs- from plucking chickens to working at a circus to selling comic books at a grocery store.
It's definitely encouraging for anyone who suffered through a weird start to their career.
Here are the surprising first jobs held by Washington, Lincoln, Obama, and 15 other US presidents: