Melinda French Gates: IBM's Loss, Microsoft's Gain

Melinda French Gates, the co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, had an unconventional start to her career in the tech industry. In a recent interview, she revealed that she initially received a job offer from IBM, but a hiring manager at the company advised her to turn it down. The reason? They believed that Microsoft, a then-small startup, would be a better fit for her.

This advice, which left French Gates "dumbfounded," proved to be a turning point in her career. She joined Microsoft in 1987, where she worked as a project manager for the company's operating systems. Her time at Microsoft was instrumental in shaping her career and eventually led to her co-founding the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with her husband, Bill Gates.

French Gates is not the only prominent figure to have received career-changing advice from unexpected sources. Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, was advised by his father to pursue a career in engineering instead of his initial plan to study medicine. Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo, was encouraged by her father to pursue a career in business after she initially wanted to become a classical musician. Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, was advised by his mentor, Mike Markkula, to drop out of college and focus on his passion for computers.

These stories highlight the importance of mentorship and the value of seeking advice from unexpected sources. They also underscore the unpredictable nature of career paths and the potential for unexpected opportunities to arise. As French Gates' experience demonstrates, sometimes the best career moves come from the most unexpected places.