Walmart CEO Doug McMillon retired at the end of January after spending his entire four-decade career rising through the ranks, from the warehouse to the top executive. When recalling his intense career at the retail giant valued at US$938 billion, McMillon left three lessons for young Generation Z people who are entering the job market — and the first does not require a sophisticated degree, just determination.
“From a career perspective, the first thing I say to anyone who asks for guidance is: do today’s job well, be present, drive change, deliver results and do it the right way,” McMillon told graduates during his commencement speech at the University of Arkansas in 2024. “Being present in today’s role and gaining confidence leads to the next job opportunity.”
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McMillon understands how to use loyalty as leverage to advance your career. The retired CEO started at Walmart in 1984, picking orders and unloading trucks at a warehouse for just $6.50 an hour.
That summer job turned into a four-decade journey with the company. After earning an MBA from the University of Tulsa, he transitioned to Walmart corporate in 1991 as a fishing equipment buyer and rose to the role of CEO in 2014.
Dedicating your entire career to a single employer is no easy task, but McMillon has said he has never “been bored for a single day” — and advised Gen Z to find a career they love, too.
“My second piece of advice is to pursue a career that doesn’t feel like work. Life is too short to invest so much time doing something you don’t enjoy,” continued McMillon.
“I hope you find your place quickly, like I did, but if you don’t, my advice is don’t give up until you do… If you’re in the right place, most days work won’t even feel like work.”
For the younger generation, shaken by artificial intelligence automation of jobs, tariff wars, sky-high housing costs and suffocating student debt, McMillon’s final lesson rings especially true: Be compassionate toward others, even when things get tough.
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“My third and final piece of advice is to assume the good intentions of others and demonstrate understanding,” McMillon added. “Know that you will have more joy in what you give than in what you receive. There is too much conflict in the world today. Too much worry and too much suffering. We have many challenges to resolve.”
Fortune reached out to Walmart for comment.
CEOs who say it’s important to love what you do
McMillon isn’t the only business leader encouraging young Gen Zers to do what feeds their soul, not just their bank account.
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The late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs advised graduates not to settle into a job they don’t have passion for; Jobs’ love for his career kept him going even after being removed from the company he built and during Apple’s near bankruptcy.
Young workers should also find their calling, he encouraged, even if that means rejecting opportunities that don’t feel right.
“Your work is going to be a big part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do,” Jobs said during his commencement speech at Stanford in 2005.
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“If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking—and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
One of the positive sides of pursuing a fulfilling career is that it makes the difficult parts of the job a little more bearable.
Hyrox co-founder and CEO Christian Toetzke said the best way to achieve work-life balance is to love your job so much that nothing feels like an obligation. For him, it’s almost a privilege to go to the office every day and sift through hundreds of emails.
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“I’m a big advocate of work-life balance, but the question is always how we look at it. And I’m a very privileged person because I don’t consider what I do to be work,” Toetzke said on Brian Sozzi’s Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast last year.
“I do what I really love. It’s also my hobby. For me, work is not a punishment. It’s almost a reward.”
But CEOs are keen to emphasize that loving what you do does not mean that everything is perfect all the time.
Dan Sheridan, CEO of footwear manufacturer Brooks Running, advised young Gen Zers who aspire to the highest position to understand that the role comes with a certain amount of chaos.
“Brooks is not perfect — no organization is,” Sheridan told Fortune’s Leadership Next podcast last year. “We have our flaws, our bruises and things like that… 80% of the time, I love what I’m doing.” The other 20% of the time, the CEO admitted, work is full of “things that drive you crazy and problems you can’t solve.”
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