When he became one of the first graduates of the University's Management and Technology program in 1982, Ken Glass never expected to be working for Microsoft Corporation's co-founder Bill Gates. Glass spoke to a group of 25 students Monday evening about succeeding in the real world after college. During the one-hour talk, which was sponsored by the Management and Technology Club, Glass focused on the personal aspects of business -- which he referred to as "what they don't teach you in school." He stressed happiness as one of the first things to look for in a job or career, offering many anecdotes from his own experience to illustrate his point. "People want to be happy," he said. "Being rich does not necessarily translate to being happy." After graduating from Penn, Glass went on to earn a degree from Stanford University and then proceeded to work for AT&T; Bell Labs for six years. After spending time with a small software start-up, Glass settled into a position at Microsoft, where he is now involved with strategic marketing efforts between Microsoft and other manufacturers. Glass named luck, skill and a positive attitude as ingredients for success, adding that each is equally important and go together. "Think about what you want and position yourself in a place where luck can come your way," he said. Once in the working environment, Glass spoke of the importance of treating one's superiors well, while also supporting peers and subordinates. "You can't get people to act for you without representing them fairly and treating them fairly," Glass said. Glass encouraged those in attendance to enjoy their work and have a passion for it, saying that without that, people cannot help themselves or their companies. "Take the job that you care about, regardless of what it is," he said. "You can succeed when you care about something." Glass concluded his thoughts by speaking about life and family, referring back to the importance of being happy. He said he makes a point to be home for dinner each night to spend time with his wife and three children. "Understand what is important to you and do it," he added. Those present were impressed with Glass's speaking ability and found his words interesting and enlightening. "It's refreshing to see that someone of his high position is not a maniac but sees things from a good perspective,"Engineering junior Aaron Dimmick said. "You're not there just to satisfy an interviewer, you have to satisfy yourself, too." And Wharton and Engineering sophomore Ric Watts said Glass provided a unique perspective on the future of business. "He's one of the few people in business that has a positive outlook towards the future," he said.
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