What I’ve Learned Since College: Pursue Your Path, Build Something Meaningful, Enjoy the Journey

When I graduated college, I wanted to be successful—but I only had an abstract notion of what success meant, what it cost, and what would really make me happy. What I’ve realized since is that no matter what you think, or do, or plan, there are twists and turns at every bend. Life goes so unexpectedly.

Yesterday, I had the honor of giving the commencement address at my alma mater, Union College. It was inspiring to be surrounded by so many talented, hungry graduates and, in ways, I can still relate to them. That’s because as they take the next step in their journey, I’m taking one too, as part of eBay’s next chapter.

There are three things I’ve learned in the 27 years since I sat in one of the seats occupied yesterday by Union’s class of 2015.  I think they apply to all of us, wherever we are in our careers. They are: Pursue Your Path, Build Something Meaningful, and Enjoy the Journey.

Pursue Your Path

My career path was not the straightforward one I had planned. When I graduated from Union, I was faced with a big choice: join a leading law firm—as I had always planned—or help save the struggling biotech company that my father founded. You see, my father had passed away unexpectedly, and my family and the Board turned to me, asking me to help run the company and stabilize it.

It wasn’t what I wanted to do. It wasn’t what I had planned.  But I had an obligation. I stepped in, and when the company had stabilized, I stepped away.

My early experience taught me to have the courage to follow my heart. My father’s company was not my passion. I am not a scientist. I didn’t want to inherit my career. 

Most people will not be asked to scrap their plans and run a company straight out of school, but we all will have tough choices to make. We have to learn to live life the way we want to. Be prepared to blaze your own trail.

The path to happiness is often not the expected path.

Build Something Meaningful

The happiest people I know are those who are pursuing what they love and building things that they are proud of. They may not be billionaire founders: They are people who work in big and small companies, with a passion to serve customers, build great products and change the world with technology.

We are living in a world of warp-speed innovation that I couldn’t have even imagined when I was finishing college.

But here’s the thing: just as important as what we do, is why we do it and how. What kind of future will we create? Will the future be pro-humanity? Will it make humans connected, and happier, more included, more just? Or will technology make the planet a more unequal place?

We’ll decide if we live in a world of drones and algorithms or whether we live in a more human world where tech ends up serving humanity and making the planet smaller, more interconnected, and more equal.

The challenge for all of us is to not simply accept what is, but to imagine what is possible. Building something you are proud of is great. But building something you are proud of, that also makes others’ lives better, is even greater. 

Enjoy the Journey

Life happens in chapters. When I was leaving my last company, I had no idea what I would do next. But I've learned that you can't plan for everything, and sometimes the uncharted paths are the ones that lead you to the best places.

For the last four years, I had the opportunity to build an enduring business and help create economic opportunities for people around the world.

So, here I am, again, embarking on the next journey and pursuing my passion.  I have a new role at an iconic technology company which I am humbled to lead. With these three principles in mind, I am thinking about what I can create and what impact I can have as CEO of eBay. The journey continues.

My final advice to the class of 2015 is my advice to everyone. When you are needed, jump in. Don’t stand on the sidelines. Don’t worry about the unknown. Because somewhere in that new universe lies something incredible: Opportunity.