In “The Sales Profession: Attention Must Still Be Paid,” Ben Stein explains how a summer job selling shoes taught him how to sell.

I feel the same way about my first real job: selling jewelry. I learned more about sales, marketing, and evangelism schlepping gold and diamonds than in any high-tech position since. If you want to change the world, you will need to learn how to sell. That’s just the way things are, so check it out.