Recent graduates are leaving classrooms and entering corporate offices, unsure how to stand out in an AI-powered world of work. However, in the pursuit of success, Apple’s future CEO, John Ternus, advises young professionals that giving their all is what matters most.
“The care you put into your work really matters,” Ternus told the University of Pennsylvania’s 2024 engineering graduates.
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A company veteran poised to take on Apple’s top job on September 1, he learned that lesson when he first started working at the tech giant in 2001. After joining the product design team, his first project was creating a large plastic desktop monitor called the Cinema Display.
After months of construction work, the supplier factory made a version of the product, but on the back of the screen, 35 slots were installed instead of 25. Ternus knew the error would go unnoticed by most, but he couldn’t bear the idea of launching his design with a problem.
“I clearly remember stopping for a moment and thinking, ‘What the hell am I doing? Is this normal?'” Ternus recalled. “I realized that maybe it wasn’t normal, but it was right, because I had already spent months working on that product. And if you’re going to dedicate that much time to something, you have to do your best.”
Ternus said that whether or not a customer noticed the extra grooves, he would always know. And because he and his team had meticulously planned every detail—from the screen to the concentric steel grooves that glowed like a CD—they wanted the best work possible to be reflected in the final product. This dedication may seem intense, but it’s always worth going beyond the basics instead of just doing the minimum acceptable.
“Don’t be fooled—it’s hard to put so much of yourself into something,” advised Ternus. “It’s stressful, it requires sacrifices, but it’s worth it because our time is limited.”
Ternus was just 26 years old when he joined Apple. It was his second job after college, and at the turn of the 21st century, technology was advancing at a rapid pace. The future CEO told the graduates that there will be many moments in their career when they will need to face something new, and uncertainty will certainly appear. But there is a trick he has mastered to overcome doubt.
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“Always assume you are as smart as anyone in the room, but never assume you know as much as they do,” Ternus told the Gen Z engineering graduates. “With this mindset, you will have the confidence to move forward and, most importantly, the humility to ask questions and learn.”
When he started working at the $3.9 trillion technology giant, Ternus admitted the experience was both exciting and intimidating. His colleagues were intelligent and confident, which shook his confidence that he belonged there. Still, he embraced their strengths rather than withdrawing into them anxiously—and that proved decisive throughout his two-decade career.
“I will always be grateful that I wasn’t afraid to ask for help when I needed it,” Ternus continued. “Because being surrounded by people who care so much not only makes you want to push your limits and see how far you can get, but they are also the best people to help you understand how to get there.”
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The engineering executive, now 50 years old, left young professionals with some final career advice: “Take time to develop skills and knowledge in the areas that matter to you.” Whether developing products, fighting incurable diseases or creating AI models for healthcare, young people must invest in meaningful work.
“Build what interests you, what excites you, but most of all, build it in a way that aligns with your values,” Ternus said. “This is your time, this is your moment, so do as Steve Jobs once said: go out there and leave your mark on the world.”
Ternus’ 25-year rise at Apple, valued at $3.9 trillion
Ternus, who currently serves as Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, has dedicated nearly his entire professional career to the company. After a brief stint as an engineer at Virtual Research Systems upon graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, he joined Apple’s product design team in 2001, just as the company was accelerating its product innovation.
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In 2013, Ternus was promoted to vice president of hardware engineering and later took on a senior role, joining Apple’s executive team in 2021.
Over his 25 years at the company, the mechanical engineer has led hardware engineering across Apple’s broad portfolio of products — including AirPods, all generations of iPads and the latest iPhone models.
But his technical competence was only part of what made him stand out; Tim Cook has stated that he has “the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and honor.”
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Reacting to the announcement of his appointment as CEO, Ternus said he considers himself privileged to have worked under the leadership of the late Jobs and to have had Tim Cook as a mentor.
“I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to advance Apple’s mission,” Ternus said in a statement. “I enter this role with humility and promise to lead with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century.”
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