Lecture by Tim Cook at Duke University. Part 4. Personal career planning

Two years ago, Tim Cook gave interview in several parts of Duke University. We publish a translation of his conversation with the interviewer. In this part, he spoke about career planning. Previous parts are available here.

One of the tasks of the final project to get an MBA was to write a career plan for the next 25 years. Interviewer ironically asked Cook if he is successful his career and that he believed written in the plan?

Cook remembers Tomdeyla professor who gave them this task. Usually people forget about that, but Cook recently went through the old stuff and came across this plan that gather dust in a box and have turned yellow with age.

The plan was not a single line, which would coincide with my career.

Cook believes that his career has evolved unpredictably. All of the industry are changing, and planning - is good, but Cook does not think that this is the only right way.

You can work all his life in the same company, and can constantly change them. You can work in the same industry or to replace a number of different careers. You can connect a life with one person, and can change dozens of partners until you find suitable.

A lot can change. I hope that your life will be predictable for you, but this is unlikely to be the case. My advice - follow the polar star, and be prepared for the fact that everything will change.