Microsoft CFO gives college grads 3 key lessons that shaped her success — says careers are rarely ‘a straight line’

On paper, Microsoft CFO Amy Hood has it all: she’s a successful tech executive ranked by Forbes as one of the world’s most powerful women (1), and earned nearly $30 million last year (2), according to company SEC filings.

But during a Mother’s Day commencement speech at Duke University, her alma mater, she told grads that, despite appearances, her career path resembles “a lot more [of a] roller coaster, and certainly no well-orchestrated plan (3).”

Must Read

Her journey began with aspirations of becoming a doctor. Her major at Duke was biology before changing to economics. Hood later noted her MBA from Harvard and her years at Goldman Sachs, but said she wasn’t into banking and finance, which led her to quit.

Afterwards she took an internship with the National Park Service thinking she’d get assigned to Yellowstone or Yosemite. Instead, the then 30-year-old found herself stamping souvenir books at Alcatraz. “I lasted one day,” she said.

Fortunately, a friend…