Steve Jobs' 1973 job application up for auction
The application for an unspecified position is estimated to be worth more than $50,000.
- Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Before Steve Jobs dominated the tech industry, he was just a regular guy looking for a job.
After dropping out of Reed College only six months after enrolling for the 1972 fall semester, he stuck around the Portland campus for a year and a half to audit courses on calligraphy, dance and Shakespeare.
In 1973, he filled out a job application for an unspecified position, which is now being auctioned by RR Auction. The company estimates its worth at more than $50,000.
The application includes some misspellings and other interesting details.
The one-page application isn't as put-together as one might expect from the man who co-founded Apple three years later. Under address, Jobs hand-wrote "reed college" (lowercase). His major, "english, lit," also wasn't capitalized. When asked about access to transportation, he wrote, "possible, but not probable."
What's less surprising is that he noted he has skills with computers and calculators. And under "Special Abilities," he wrote, "electronics tech or design engineer. digital.-from Bay near Hewitt-Packard." Yes, Hewlett-Packard is misspelled.
"It breathes more life into him and his memory," said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction.
A Mac OS X technical manual signed by Jobs in 2001 will also be auctioned, as will a signed newspaper clipping from 2008 about Jobs speaking at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. Those items are valued at more than $25,000 and $15,000, respectively.
In October, a magazine signed by Jobs sold for over $50,000. An Apple-1 computer valued at $700,000 was also auctioned off. Some of his personal items, including bathrobes and electric razors, have also previously gone up for bidding. His leather jacket sold for $22,400.
The job application currently up for bidding was first auctioned off by Bonhams for $18,750 in December.
"I believe that person bought that and understands that he got a great deal," Livingston said. "You just don't see anything like that. It's a pretty rare piece."
Livingston said the pieces are authenticated through consultations with handwriting experts, both in house and with third parties.
"We've never had three Steve Jobs in one auction," he said.
The auction runs from March 8 to 15.
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