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Title: 'Just Three Stories': The Career Lessons Behind Steve Jobs' Stanford University Commencement Address

Authors: Julia Richardson; Michael B. Arthur

Addresses: Author address listing can be found in the "About the Authors" section at the end of the article.

Abstract: This paper examines the pedagogical value of Steve Job's Stanford University Commencement Address for understanding and teaching about careers in the 21st Century. The address is organized around 'just three stories'. This paper will show how the first story draws attention to different sources of learning and the need for authenticity. It will then show how the second story illustrates what it is like to experience and manage a career change, with a specific focus on involuntary job loss as an opportunity for growth and reinvention. The third story connects to the career as a 'calling' and circles back to authenticity as both a motor and anchor for careers. In addition to these themes, a note of caution should be added that the speech overlooks the contextual and individual barriers in contemporary careers. Finally, combining the three stories and introducing a further theoretical component, the paper shows how the speech provides an opportunity to illustrate the 'intelligent career' framework.

Keywords: Steve Jobs; Stanford commencement address; career lessons; intelligent career.

DOI: 10.1504/JBM.2013.141205

Journal of Business and Management, 2013 Vol.19 No.1, pp.45 - 57

Published online: 05 Sep 2024 *