EVERETT — Getting an entry-level job flipping burgers or bagging groceries can give you a leg up on whatever career you decide to pursue, working people told high school students at a career fair Wednesday.

At the same time, mistakes you make now can limit your future options, others added.

"All that plays into your future," said Everett police officer Tim Chin, who does background checks on people applying for jobs with the Everett Police Department.

"If you’re just mulling your way through high school working at McDonald’s and you like oversalting the fries because you think it’s funny," that can come back to haunt you in the form of a poor reference from your boss, he said.

At the same time, young people who get low-level jobs and stick with them and advance have an advantage when it comes to applying for schools or better jobs, said Carol Felix, a human resources manager at the Everett Clinic.

"That shows me that they’re responsible and have a good work ethic," she said. "It shows that they’re a good employee."

Chin and Felix were on separate panels of working people who spoke to some 600 Everett-area high school students at the fair, which was sponsored by the Everett Rotary Club at Everett Community College.

Some of the speakers urged the students to investigate career fields that interest them to find if it’s something for which they’re really suited.

Police departments have Explorer programs for young people, and some have reserve programs for adults, said Rich Robertson, Everett’s assistant fire marshal. Fire departments in smaller towns accept and train volunteers.

Hospitals also offer volunteer programs, which give young people a chance to experience working in health care and to learn some of the basics, Felix said.

That’s an advantage, she and others said.

"Anytime a school sees you’ve put in volunteer hours in your field, whatever it is, it gives you an advantage," said Betsy Johnson, a physical therapist. "It means you’re a focused person and you’re willing to put in time and effort."

Besides, it’s important to "find a career path and job that you love, because you’re going to spend most of your waking hours at that job," she said.

There are lots of openings in health care fields if you can qualify for and complete the training, Felix said.

"We don’t have a lot of nurses out there. We don’t have a lot of radiology technicians out there," she said. "If you can get through it, you can have a job at $25 an hour to start."

There’s more competition for police and fire department jobs. Robertson said the year he joined the Everett Fire Department, more than 1,800 people applied for 17 openings.

There are resources available — at libraries, bookstores and online — to help applicants prepare for the written and physical tests they must pass to be considered for fire and police jobs, Robertson said.

Joining the military also is an option, he said. "It’s not a bad gig, and it gets you where you’re going," he said.

"That great first job is waiting for you. Preparing for it now is the key."

Reporter Bryan Corliss: 425-339-3454 or corliss@heraldnet.com.