ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Work Application Letter By Steve Jobs Is Now Up For Auction

Work Application Letter By Steve Jobs Is Now Up For Auction

The letter hails from 1973, predating the founding of his Apple corporation by three years

Mike Wood

Mike Wood

Apple founder Steve Jobs died in 2011 as one of the richest men in the world. He brought the world the Mac computer, the iPod, the iPhone and plenty more besides, making history in the process, as well as garnering billions for himself.

If you're counting out your spare change while you read this, however, trying to work out whether you're going to have to start rationing teabags, you may find it reassuring to learn that Jobs also struggled when starting out, as a recently unearthed job application from 1973 has revealed.

RR Auction

Jobs was just 18 when he wrote it and was trying to get himself a gig after dropping out of college. He lists his address as 'Reed College' - an institution in Portland, Oregon, where he studied English Literature, but never really took to the course and dropped out after just half a year of studying.

The hardship of the time for Jobs is shown in the application which tells that he didn't have a permanent car or telephone - the question 'Access to transportation' is answered 'possible, but not probable'.

It also addresses the early roots of his later career, as he describes himself as having competency with both computers and calculators, with special abilities as an 'electronics tech or design engineer' and digital skills picked up from a period working for Hewlett-Packard, though Jobs spells the name of the firm incorrectly.

PA

Later reflecting on dropping out of university, Jobs stated: "After six months, I couldn't see the value in it.

"I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK."

He still spent time around the college, attending lectures on Shakespeare, calligraphy and dance, which he claimed had an effect on the high design aspects of his Mac computers.

Speaking at Stanford University in 2005, Jobs recalled: "If I had never dropped in on that single calligraphy course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts."

Just a few years after leaving Reed College, in 1976, Jobs and his friend Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple.

The Steve Jobs job application is currently available via R&R Auctions, who are selling it to the highest bidder. The current leader stands at $50,000 (£36,000), with the auction due to end on Thursday.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Interesting, US News, Apple