-By Sandeep Krishnamurthy
Commencement day is filled with such enthusiasm and optimism. I enjoy seeing the eager faces of the graduates, the high energy dances on stage and the hollering family members in the audience.
As I shook the hands of 1,200 graduates as they walked towards their bright future. It energized me, as always, to think of the ways in which this group will succeed.
Here are the things I wish I had shared with all of this year’s graduates, if I had the time to meet with each and every one of them.
I believe in you: As these young men and women start their professional lives, it is very important they know that we see immense potential. I wish they knew that I believed in them and their success. Sure, it is not going to be a straight line and there will be bumps in the road. But I want the graduates leaving with the gift of belief — that someone believes in them and their potential. You’ve got this!
Finding your optimism: The basics will never change. You will need to network, analyze, find an opportunity and work hard and smart to succeed. Yes, you are graduating to an economy that is complicated with economic policies (tariffs), technology transformation (AI) and complex global dynamics. But there are many opportunities out there —you can find a great job or even start your own business. Stay optimistic and don’t listen to those who will tell you that it is all ending.
AI is big: Artificial intelligence is a once-in-a-generation effect. It will transform not just the next year of your life, but also the next decade. The capabilities of AI are already more than 1,000 times that of the first day ChatGPT launched. AI can now generate entire videos, participate in a Zoom meeting on your behalf and create a reasoning-based writeup. The smart move is to learn ways by which you can monetize AI. You will get the question in your interview — how would you use AI to add business value to our organization? Be prepared. Prompts are no longer the short queries you used to use. They can be as long as 500-1,000 words with explicit structures. Make sure you know this. Look up “agentic AI.”
Double down on your human-ness: Even as AI rockets to a major place in our society, it is extremely important that we reaffirm everything that makes us a human being. Our intuitive ability. Curiosity. Empathy. Connection. Drive. Ingenuity. Recommit to everything that makes you a great human being.
Get smarter: University has laid a foundation of knowledge in your life. But it is just that. You learned how to learn. Your learned how to work in a team. You learned how to leverage technology. Now, as you grow into the real world, you should expect to continue to learn and get smarter. Challenge yourself to keep learning something new. There are many high-quality and free learning opportunities now—make the time to learn new things.
Mentorship will make a difference: Never forget the power of mentors. You will always benefit from having a group of mentors guide you. Think of identifying your personal “board of directors” in the next 100 days—seven individuals who will be happy to provide you with guidance. Mentors can come from your university, church or from speakers that you have seen. Reach out to them and ask them for help.
Mentorship is a great way to give back. We expect you to mentor others and open the door for them. Your encouragement will help them, just as your mentors helped you.
Be the point guard: Great point guards in basketball look down the court and not just at the floor as they dribble the ball. When you get your first job, don’t just think of performing great at the job. Think about the broader context that surrounds you. How is the company doing financially and what is its strategic plan? Think of the job that you want to hold in the next one, three, or five years. Start to prepare for that job right away.
Plan to win the game of life: Life is not only about work. Make sure you are devoted to your family, your friends, you get enough exercise and you are giving back to your church/community. If you are fabulously successful at work, it may not matter if your individual health is not great or your family life is hell.
Do a simple exercise. Make a list of the top five things that are most important to you. Now, look at where you are spending your time. For many of us, these two lists are completely divergent. The things that we say matter to us do not get the attention from us. Keep doing this at different times in your life to understand who you are and where you are going. Refocus. Pivot. Adjust.
Happiness is what matters: At the end of the day, what matters most is whether you are happy. Smile a lot. Seriously pursue happiness and don’t take it for granted.
I wish you an excellent career. And a happy life.
To read more from Dr. Krishnamurthy, check out his Substack .