Gates Paraphrased Advice

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There is this quote, that you wish you knew about the good ole days before you left them. I think all jobs and roles have a certain life cycle. Companies lose value. Evolve. Reorganize. Roles change. One can ebb and flow with these changes or choose not to and move on in new directions. There is nothing wrong with life choices. Years back, I found myself working at another company and walking the streets of Paris only to stumble upon the Microsoft building.

Days later, I stumbled across this advice paraphrased from Bill Gates’ Twitter feed. Here we go:

New college grads often ask me for career advice …

  • AI, energy, and biosciences are promising fields where you can make a huge impact. It’s what I would do if starting out today.
  • Looking back on when I left college, there are some things I wish I had known. Intelligence takes many different forms. It is not one-dimensional. And not as important as I used to think. I also have one big regret: When I left school, I knew little about the world’s worst inequitities. Took me decades to learn.
  • You know more than I did when I was your age. You can start fighting inequity, whether down the street or around the world, sooner.
  • Meanwhile, surround yourself with people who challenge you, teach you, and push you to be your best self. As Melinda Gates does for me.
  • Like Warren Buffet, I measure my happiness by whether people close to me are happy and love me, and by the difference I make for others.
  • Try this book. Shows how the world is getting better. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. This is the most peaceful time in human history.
  • That matters because if you think the world is getting better, you want to spread the progress to more people and places.
  • It doesn’t mean you ignore the serious problems we face. It just means you believe they can be solved.
  • This is the core of my worldview it sustains me in tough times and is the reason I love my work. I think it can do the same for you.

And, probably, the most important … This is an amazing time to be alive. I hope you make the most of it.

Notes:

  • The picture is from the Microsoft Building in Paris, France. Trust me, there are far better places to visit along the streets of Paris. And yes, the city does change at night.
  • I decided to leave this post, despite recent news on the founder. The advice is sound, even if you choose not to follow one’s own words.