FORBES COLUMN: 8 Ways You Can Earn Respect And Meaningful Responsibility In Your First Job

I'll never forget the moment the news director gave me the green light to take the camera equipment out in the field on my own to shoot and edit my own stories.

At my first job, I worked in a newsroom for a TV station in New York City. I was the youngest employee. I came into the job as a former intern, which comes with advantages and disadvantages. But the experience taught me what it takes to earn respect and responsibility in a competitive, fast-paced corporate environment. By the end of my first year working there I produced a large number of stories including one story that earned an Emmy.