There has been a lot of media coverage surrounding the life of Steve Jobs since his passing last month. Though I have been a big fan of Apple products since my son got his first iPod a few years ago, I must admit I didn’t know much about Apple’s founder and CEO.
In the last few weeks, Steve Jobs’ life story has been told and retold on the internet, radio, television and in his already published biography. I took some time, during a road trip with my son’s hockey team recently, to learn more about him. I read an interesting Maclean’s Magazine article about him and watched an inspiring speech Jobs made at Stanford University’s 2005 Commencement Ceremony.
Like many great visionaries, Jobs was faced with obstacles and setbacks during his life and career but he pursued his ideas and the things he loved with passion and did not back down under pressure. In his Stanford address, Jobs reflects back on some of the defining moments in his life. He told the graduates to “Trust your gut” and “Love what you do”.
The challenge of finding a job you love and pursuing it with passion applies to both new graduates and seasoned professionals. Reflecting on our lives and asking ourselves “Is this where I want to be?”, as Jobs did many times during his career, is important.
Among the many things he did, Steve Jobs shared some career advice that is worth repeating. Take a look at Steve Job’s entire speech to Stanford’s 2005 graduating class.
