Most of us aren't born with a silver spoon in our mouths -- even celebrities. Just like us, they've had to work their way up the job ladder. Here are a dozen examples that prove the old adage: It's not where you start, it's where you finish that counts.

1. Mick Jagger

Before he began strutting his stuff on stage, Sir Michael Phillip "Mick" Jagger, lead singer of The Rolling Stones, worked as a porter at the Bexley Mental Hospital while he was a student at the London School of Economics. He earned a whopping 4 pounds, 10 shillings per week (about $7.80 U.S.). Perhaps Jagger's gig at the hospital inspired a couple of the Stones' early hits, such as "19th Nervous Breakdown" and "Mother's Little Helper."

2. Jason Lee

Actor Jason Lee, star of My Name is Earl plays a character who never works, but in real life Lee once worked at Taco Bell. Then, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Lee become a competitive skateboarder, performing flips and other daring maneuvers. After appearing in a promotional skateboarding video shot by Spike Jonze, Lee began getting movie offers and left his skateboarding career in the dust.

3. Paula Abdul

During her freshman year at Cal State University, Paula Abdul tried out for the Los Angeles Lakers cheerleading squad and was selected from more than 700 applicants. Her high-energy, street-funk-inspired dance routines were an instant hit, and it took her all of three weeks to become head choreographer. In 1984, when Abdul's routines got the attention of the Jackson family, they immediately signed her to choreograph their Torture video and her career went into overdrive. When Abdul embarked on a singing career in the late 1980s, her debut album, "Forever Your Girl," went platinum and spawned four number one singles, including "Straight Up" and "Cold Hearted." She has now become popular with a new audience as a judge on American Idol.

Continue the countdown of the former jobs of celebrities like David Letterman and Whoopi Goldberg on the next page.