Early in their careers, many found jobs that gave them valuable experience. They knew that a person's first job often isn't what one ends up doing later on. Some Lab employees started out doing simple jobs for not much pay. They learned more and more about the things they worked with and gradually gained technical experience. Often they continued their education after work by going to college or by taking special classes.
Formal education is important for some kinds of jobs.
A scientist, for instance, almost always earns both a four-year college degree and a doctorate, or Ph.D., degree. A Ph.D. can take several years to earn. You have to do research to find new knowledge that no one already knew. Most other technical and scientific professionals have four-year degrees and many have master's degrees. A master's degree may take one or two years to earn.