Sundar Pichai tells graduates not to overrate early career choices
The Google CEO told Stanford graduates that a college trip to Las Vegas taught him that few decisions determine an entire life.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Google CEO Sundar Pichai told Stanford University graduates to put less pressure on their first jobs and early decisions, saying many choices feel larger in the moment than they prove to be over time. His message landed amid persistent concerns for young workers about entry-level hiring, artificial intelligence and the cost of traditional goals such as homeownership, according to Fortune.
Speaking at Stanford earlier this month, Pichai said students often overestimate the long-term damage of ordinary missteps. “While these things matter in the moment, they are much less consequential than you might think,” he told graduates, according to Fortune.
Pichai, 54, said the lesson came from his own years at Stanford, where he studied materials science and engineering. He described himself as focused on grades, career planning and the future before a classmate persuaded him to skip a lecture and drive to Las Vegas.
The trip, Pichai said, was out of character because he had not missed class before. On the way, he saw snow for the first time, learned blackjack and later realized that no one had noticed his absence, according to Fortune.
“For the first time, I realized the world won’t end if I relaxed a little,” Pichai said.
Pichai’s broader advice
Pichai did not argue that all decisions are small. He told the graduates that some choices, including selecting a partner, deciding whether to have children or making a major career change, can carry lasting weight.
For most other moments, he said, the stakes are lower than anxious students may believe. Pichai told graduates that “very few” decisions are “make or break,” while adding that people can still steer their lives by separating important signals from everyday noise.
Fortune framed the remarks as part of a broader message to Gen Z workers entering a difficult job market and a changing workplace. Pichai’s advice focused less on picking a perfect first step than on staying flexible and avoiding panic over early uncertainty.
Other executives have offered similar guidance
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has also urged young professionals to accept entry-level work and learn from it, according to Fortune. Speaking earlier this year on Capital Group’s Power of Advice podcast, Jassy said people who are unwilling to start at the bottom are unlikely to succeed.
Jassy said mistakes and setbacks are part of building a career. He told listeners that they need to become “a learning machine,” according to Fortune.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has delivered a blunter version of the same message. At an event in Davos earlier this year, Dimon said every job includes “a grunt part” and told young workers to “get over it,” Fortune reported.
Dimon also advised against changing jobs just to avoid discomfort. “Do not get a new job,” he said, according to Fortune, adding that some people hurt themselves by constantly looking elsewhere instead of taking value from the work they have.
Fox News anchor Dana Perino has made a related point about overplanning, Fortune reported. She said her career improved after she stopped trying to engineer every opportunity, and she has urged young people to begin working wherever they can rather than waiting for an ideal first role.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.